THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF PLYWOOD BOATS ON THE LOWER SOUTH-WEST COAST OF INDIA

Transcription

1 THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF PLYWOOD BOATS ON THE LOWER SOUTH-WEST COAST OF INDIA V. VIVEKANANDAN SOUTH INDIAN FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN SOCIETIES Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram 1

2 THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF PLYWOOD BOATS ON THE LOWER SOUTH-WEST COAST OF INDIA By V. Vivekanandan Published by South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies Karamana P.O Thiruvananthapuram Kerala, India Tel : (91) , Fax : (91) admin@siffs.org Website : Designed by C.R.Aravindan SIFFS Computer Centre Printed at G.K. Printers, Ernakulam Cover : Photo of Vizhinjam Harbour by Suresh Nanthancode 2

3 THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF PLYWOOD BOATS ON THE LOWER SOUTH-WEST COAST OF INDIA V. VIVEKANANDAN SOUTH INDIAN FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN SOCIETIES Karamana, Thiruvananthapuram 3

4 CONTENTS Preface Part I Introduction... 9 A Description of the Project Area... 9 NGOs working with fisherfolk The Plywood Boat Project : Initial Steps The Kottar Kat - An Immediate Hit Problems and Corrective Steps Entry of SIFFS and the Plyvallam The Anjengo Model Plyvallam Growing Demand and new Boatyards The Private Boatyards Dugout Substitution in North Kerala Current R & D Impact of the Projects Lessons of the Project Part II Ten years later Geographical spread Ply boat population Changes in fishing operations with theplywood boats SIFFS boatyard network

5 Changes in SIFFS SIFFS R&D in the last 10 years Future of plywood boat building Tables 1. Current Prices of various Plywood Models (Jul 92) District-wise Plywood Boat Population (1991) Plywood Boats Produced by SIFFS Network of Yards Appendix I. Plywood Boats Produced by SIFFS Network of Yards II. District-wise Plywood Boat Population (1998) III. Current Prices of various Plywood Models (2001)

6 PREFACE While SI S has a number of valuable publications on the fisheries sector to its credit, its own activities remain poorly documented. Though the importance of documentation is understood, it has always received a lower priority over getting things done. Whatever documentation is available is in the form of papers presented in some seminars or reports/evaluations prepared for donor organisations. The most successful activity of SI S by any standards has to be its plywood boat project. It is this activity that helped SI S make a reputation among fishermen and get well known nationally and internationally. The only published report on this project has been r.gillet s Small is difficult, published by ITDG way back in SI S involvement was in its early days then and much has happened since. It is in view of this that we have decided to publish a paper that I had presented at a workshop organised by the Bay of Bengal Project of the AO in July 1992 at Madras. Despite being 10 years old it still captures the key developments of the first decade of the plywood project and is therefore still valid. Only some minor revisions have been done. However, just to bring the reader up to date, a note has been added to the end of this publication, giving the important developments since July V.Vivekanandan

7 Part I 7

8 KERALA N KASARAGOD Kms KANNUR I N D I A WYNAD Kozhikode KOZHIKODE # MALAPPURAM Kerala Tamilnadu PALAKKAD A R A B I A N THRISSUR S E A ERNAKULAM IDUKKI ALAPPUZHA KOTTAYAM PATHANAMTHITTA Kollam # KOLLAM Anjengo # THIRUVANANTHAPURAM # Veli # Vizhinjam Pozhiyoor # Vallavilla Muttom KANNIYAKUMARI # # 8

9 1. Introduction The introduction and spread of marine plywood boats among the artisanal fishermen of Trivandrum, Quilon and Kanyakumari districts on the South-West coast of India as a result of the work of certain NGOs, is today acknowledged as one of the most successful attempts at transfer of technology in the artisanal fisheries sector of India. This project was not an isolated attempt in technology transfer, but was part of a larger process of intervention among the artisanal fishermen, which resulted in the emergence of a new set of institutions under fishermen control and committed to the development of the artisanal fishery. 2. A Description of the Project Area The three districts of Trivandrum, Quilon (both part of the state of Kerala) and Kanyakumari (part of Tamil Nadu), together constitute a separate fishery zone when both ecological and technological factors are considered. The zone, having Cape Comorin in the south and Neendakara in the North as its boundaries, is characterised by rough surf conditions, a narrow and steep continental s shelf, great species diversity and the absence of large fish shoals. Except Vizhinjam, the coastline of this zone (approx. 170 km in length) is charactrised by the absence of safe anchorages and all craft have to operate from the open surf-beaten coast. This combination of rough surf conditions and the availability of a large number of species in Paper presented at the Regional Expert Consultation on Planning of Fishing Craft Introduction organised by the Bay of Bengal Programme of the FAO at Madras, July 1992, with minor revisions. 9

10 small quantities has resulted in conditions that favour smallscale, diversified fishing operations. The Kattumaram has been the mainstay of the fishermen of this region for centuries. Small numbers of dugout canoes and plank canoes have co-existed, mainly used for shore-seining and driftnetting, but the Kattumaram, used with hooks and lines as well as a wide variety of small gillnets, was the most popular craft in the zone. An exception to this was the existence of a small dugout canoe enclave in Quilon, where the Vaddy beach gave some protection during the monsoon months. Since a wide range of techniques are practiced in the zone, there is considerable amount of difference between villages and individual fishermen with regard to skills and preferred fishing techniques. There are still a few villages that depend heavily on the shore seine, while there are some villages noted for fishing in the deep or even for voyagefishing. The small-scale nature of the technology also meant that most fishermen could afford to own craft and gear. Ownership was individual, but everyone could aspire to be an owner. Another unifying factor in the zone has been religion, as almost all the fishermen belong to the Catholic Church. At the time the plywood boat project started, there were at least 40,000 kattumarams and 2,500 plank/dugout canoes. The active fishermen population in the zone could be put at approximately 60,000. This concentration of fishermen is the highest in the whole country, and probably the whole world. With less than 3% of India s coastline, this zone contains nearly 10% of India s fishermen. Given the large fishermen population and the small-scale nature of the technology, these fishermen are among the poorest sections of our society. 10

11 3. NGOs working with fisherfolk Since the 60s a number of NGOs have emerged. There have developed strong links with the fisherfolk and have tried to organise them for their betterment. In Kanyakumari, the Kottar Service Society (KSSS) has been the pioneer. A service society of the local diocese, the KSSS has several autonomous projects / organisations, working with a variety of beneficiaries, including fisherfolk, potters, palmyra climbers, small farmers and rural women. The Boat Building Centre at Muttom came up as a result of an Indo-Belgian project to motorise Kattumarams in the late sixties. Though the project was not very successful, it left behind infrastructure and a trained workforce, who could take up new technological interventions. The ishermen Sangams project was another independent project, which took up the organisation of active fishermen into marketing societies to fight the exploitation of middlemen and moneylenders. The Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT) set up in 1981 was another venture that took up development and promotion of new technologies. Development of new fishing craft and improved processing of fish were among its priorities. Behind the Boat Building Centre at Muttom and CAT, was r.gillet, a Belgian priestengineer. Having come to India in 1973 to follow up the activities of the old Indo-Belgian project, he spent the best part of the seventies experimenting with various boat designs. The early experiments were with mechanised boats and under r.gillet s leadership, the Muttom yard was the second to build fibreglass trawlers in India. It was only around 1980 that r.gillet started feeling the need to look for substitutes to the Kattumaram. The plywood boat project is the result of his efforts in this direction. In Trivandrum, the Programme for Community Organisation 11

12 (PCO), and the South Indian ederation of ishermen Society (SI S), were the two key agencies working with fishermen at the start of the plywood boat project. The PCO, an offshoot of the service activities of the Trivandrum diocesean programmes, had organised the fishermen into fish marketing societies in several villages.* These societies had in turn come together to form SI S, which they hoped would also attract the membership of the KSSS fishermen sangams in Kanyakumari. Setup mainly as a marketing organisation, SI S was concentrating on marketing selected varieties of fish through various channels and the supply of inputs at reasonable prices. In Quilon, the ishermen Community Development Programme ( CDP) had come up in 1981 at the initiative of the Don Bosco Society. Led by a couple of young Salesians, the CDP started organising the fishermen around a number of activities. This subsequently led to the formation of fish marketing societies modeled on the basis of the Trivandrum and the Kanyakumari societies. The organisations in each of the districts were independent, but there existed an excellent exchange of information and ideas between them. Each initiative was autonomous, but the learning was of use to all. Style varied, but the substance was often them same. While jealously guarding their own individual approach, these organisations were committed to the growth of * It was the first fish marketing society organised by the Trivandrum-based social workers in Marianad that become the model for the subsequent societies organised by the KSSS in Kanyakumari and FCFP in Quilon. It was also the model for the Government intervention through Matsyafed. 12

13 fishermen s organisations, which would be independent of them. They encouraged the local fishermen organisations initiated by them in their respective districts to come together to form a larger platform, which would be suitable for tackling various problems faced by them. It is this approach that led to the formation of SI S as an apex body of fishermen societies in the three districts with an intermediate district-level federation in each district. 4. The Plywood Boat Project : Initial Steps As already explained, the plywood boat project was the result of r.gillet s quest for an alternative to the Kattumaram. It was felt than that due to deforestation, timber for Kattumaram was becoming scarce. If no alternative was found, the future of the Kattumaram fishermen seemed bleak. Various alternatives were considered, including fibreglass, ferrocement and plywood. It was at this juncture in 1981 that r. Gillet established contact with the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), an organisation committed to the development and promotion of various intermediate technologies *. Another contact that was simultaneously established was with the British naval architect Edwin Gifford, who had considerable experience in boat design for the tropics, particularly in beach landing craft. Having built many fishing harbours in his mainline occupation as civil engineer, Gifford had observed the negative impact of many such harbour projects and was convinced that it was more appropriate for most third world countries to develop good beach landing craft, rather than harbours. In particular, he believed in the efficacy of * The contact was with Intermediate Technologyy Industrial Services, a seperate wing of ITDG, which was subsiquently merged with ITDG. 13

14 twin-hulled boats for surf crossing and was already working on his famous twin-hulled Sandskipper for Sri Lanka. Based on communications between r.gillet (through CAT), ITDG and Edwin Gifford, it was decided to launch an experiment with marine plywood boats designed by Gifford. A modified version of the Sandskipper called the Sandhopper was the first model to be built. or his plywood boat construction, Gifford used the unconventional stitch-and-glue technique. This was primarily known as a simple technique for amateur boat builders in Europe and does not seem to have been used on a commercial scale anywhere in the world. The advantage of this technique is that the jig for construction can be dispensed with and saving can be made in both material and labour. The plywood panels are first cut and stitched together. The wooden frames are subsequently built into the hull. The level of carpentry skills required is also lower for this technique and Gifford considered that it would be easier to pass on to locals and would generate employment opportunity within the fishing villages. The Sandhopper as such did not appeal to the local fishermen nor the Muttom boatyard which built it under contract from CAT. It was far too different from the Kattumaram and required a change in the working methods for the fishermen. It was also very large and therefore considered a liability by the local fishermen who have difficulty in finding parking space on their crowded beaches. As a result, the Sandhopper never got a fair trial, but what excited the boat builders was the potential of the stitchand-glue technique. The boatyard manage.m.t. Raj and r. Gillet had already made a small decked boat, built conventionally with plywood, as an alternative to the Kattumaram. It was felt 14

15 that a stitch-and-glue boat with a similar design had a good chance of success. Gifford was then contracted by ITDG to design a new boat based on the request of the local organisation. Thus in early 1982, the Kottar Kat was designed by Gifford and the first few boats were built in mid This set in motion the plywood boat revolution. 5. The Kottar Kat An immediate Hit The Kottar kat was a 23 boat with a completely sealed deck. It had a number of similarities with the Kattumaram. It was light and unsinkable, and the water would wash through the deck. A pair of horns were provided in the bow very much like the kadial on the Kattumaram for tying the sail. It was essentially designed for sailing and rowing and on the both these it was expected to perform as well, if not better than the Kattumaram. Gifford s prototype was what one could call a minimum structure boat. It had just the bare minimum material and the idea was to add frames and strengthen the boat based on the feedback. This is an important part of Gifford s approach, as it keeps the costs as low as possible. The price of the Kottar Kat when it was released was Rs. 7,500 and this compared quite favorably with an equivalent Kattumaram, whose cost regard between 3,000-5,000 then. The fishermen took an instant liking to the Kottar Kat. No elaborate trials or demonstrations were necessary and the message spread through word of month. There was an immediate rush to acquire Kottar Kats and the Muttom boatyard was deluged with orders. It soon became obvious that it was the fishermen who wanted to use outboard motors and go 15

16 deep, who were attracted to the new boat. The OBM had become popular all of a sudden in Kerala, where a rapid motorisation of artisanal craft had started from 1981 onwards. This motorisation was largely the response of Kerala s artisanal fishermen to the unfair competition from mechanised trawling boats in the inshore waters and the consequent depletion of the inshore fishery. The large plank canoes in Central Kerala were the first to get motorised. The Kattumaram fishermen in the south, who also wished to go deeper so as to survive, tried the OBM on their Kattumarams. Vizhinjam and Neendakara were the two locations where quite a few Kattumarams were motorised in The fishermen found this a very unsatisfactory arrangement. The Kattumaram was far from ideal for motorised operations and the fishermen were desperately looking for a more suitable craft. When the Kottar Kat arrived on the scene, they quickly grabbed the opportunity to change over to what they saw as a very cheap motor boat. While r. Gillet had intended to substitute the Kattumaram with another sailing craft, the fishermen were looking forward to an intermediate technology that will help them motorise and go deep. This resulted in the stampede to buy Kottar kats. Then, it was even cheaper than the outboard motor, which costed Rs.11, Problems and Corrective Steps The quick take-off of the Kottar Kat had created a state of euphoria in the Muttom boatyard, but very soon, the problems started. The Kottar Kat, designed for rowing and sailing by Gifford, had been very lightly built. When used at full throttle with the 7 HP Yamaha OBMs, it took a severe beating and water getting into the sealed hull became a regular phenomenon. 16

17 Moreover, for motorised operations to be successful, greater carrying capacity was felt necessary. The orders were immediately withdrawn by many fishermen and a major crisis was brewing. Gifford and ITDG were consulted immediately. After discussions, ITDG agreed to come in with an aid package, which would enable the Muttom boatyard to call back all the Kottar kats in the field for substantial modifications, costing about Rs. 4,000 per boat. The fishermen would have to contribute just Rs.500, while the rest would be a subsidy from ITDG. This action stemmed the rot and the faith of the fishermen in the technology and the organisation was built up. The Muttom boatyard started producing 26 Kottar Kat in view of the fishermen s desire to have a larger boat. This was strictly not a Gifford design. He had sent a design for a plywood vallam (canoe or open boat) to be tried in Quilon (more details in subsequent sections)..m.t Raj used the plyvallam design as a starting point and built a deck into it. With the arrival of the 26 Kottar kats, the market hotted up once again and the Muttom boatyard has never since looked backward. Despite the acceptance of the Kattar Kats, the boatyard was not fully satisfied with the construction as leak-proofing the deck was a major difficulty. Subsequently in 1985 the boatyard changed the construction method. While previously the complete hull would be built before the deck is fixed, they now built the bottom part of the hull with the deck as an integral unit and subsequently built up the sides. Since this made the design totally new the new boats were called Gillet kats or just GKs, expressing the affection the workers had for r. Gillet. The GKs have proved to be a durable success and there are at least 1,500 in operation currently. The Muttom boatyard had sufficient confidence to 17

18 make further modifications such that 28' and 30' GKs are also being currently sold. 7. Entry of SI S and the Plyvallam When the Kottar Kat boom started in late 1982, r.gillet found that a large part of the demand was from Vizhinjam in Trivandrum district. Since it was clear that Muttom boatyard alone could not cope with the demand in the long term, and because it was desirable that fishermen s organisations should have greater control over the new technology, r. Gillet approached SI S, which had been in operation for over a year as an apex body of the Trivandrum fishermen societies. After discussions with SI S and PCO, it was decided that SI S should take up the production to cater to the Kerala demand. Preoccupied with the newly started fish marketing activities, SI S rather reluctantly got involved on the condition that r. Gillet spend time to help develop the SI S boatyard. Anjengo, to the north of Trivandrum - equidistant from Vizhinjam and Quilon, the two major demand centres was selected for the new boatyard location. In March 1983, the boatyard started operations, producing two 23 Kottar kats. Soon, it was the plyvallam that was to become the breadand-butter of the Anjengo boatyard. The plyvallam was the result of r. Gillet s interaction with CDP in Quilon. CDP, who were in the process of organising fishermen societies in Quilon, found the 26 Quilon dugout a major constraint for their new program. The motorisation urge had already hit the Quilon fishermen and they found their old dugouts unable to cope with the demands of the OBM. Replacement of dugouts 18

19 had virtually come to a halt and the going rate for a secondhand dugout was between Rs. 15,000 Rs. 20,000. CDP, hearing of r. Gillet s wonderful success in Kattumaram substitution, requested for a dugout substitute. Gifford and ITDG agreed to help and a 26 plyvallam was designed by Gifford. The first prototype built at Muttom proved to be successful despite the initial fears of the local fishermen who called it a pappadam vallam. This was because the 9mm plywood thickness looked woefully inadequate when compared with their one-anda-half inch thick wooden canoe and they could only compare it with the pappadam, a popular wafer taken with rice. The newly formed societies in Quilon launched an ambitious programme to acquire plyvallams under a NABARD scheme. They placed an order for 100 boats with SI S and wanted delivery with an impossible schedule. The newly started Anjengo boatyard, which was still struggling to find its moorings, took up the challenge and became a specialist boatyard for plyvallams while the Muttom boatyard was to concentrate entirely on the decked models. The Quilon plyvallam also had to undergo some modifications based on the initial feedback. The beam and the transom width had to be reduced to suit the beaching techniques used by the fishermen. The vallam in Quilon reaches it final destination on the beach after landing by a series of manoeuvers, in which the force of the incoming wave is utilised to push the boat. A wider boat takes a beating as a result of this operation. These modifications were made at Anjengo by the SI S staff and r. Gillet. The first three boats sold without these changes had to be bought back and modified. However, the plyvallam never went through a Kottar Kat type failure and was a success from 19

20 day one. It is a matter of pride in SI S that there are many nine-year old plyvalloms still in operation in Quilon. 8. The Anjengo Model Plyvallam While the Vizhinjam fishermen in the south of Trivandrum district and the Kanyakumari fishermen preferred the decked boats coming from Muttom, the fishermen in the northern part of Trivandrum, particularly Anjengo, were uncertain about their preference. or long they watched the progress of the decked boats in the south and the vallom model up in the north (Quilon). Given the greater use of driftnets in the area for mackerel and tuna, these fishermen felt the vallom model to be more appropriate, but they found the Quilon model too small for their driftnets. Some local fishermen approached the boatyard to make a slightly larger vallom to suit their requirements. With increased beam and higher sides, the Anjengo model was then developed by the Anjengo boatyard itself. Introduced in 1985, the boat became a big hit in the Anjengo area and remains a favourite for all driftnet fishermen in Trivandrum district. With the early saturation of demand in Quilon, the Anjengo model and the Anjengo boatyard have almost become synonymous. By the end of 1985, both the Muttom and Anjengo boatyards had become commercially successful. The three commercially successful models were the GKs, the Quilon plyvallom and the Anjengo plyvallom. All three models bore some resemblance to Gifford s original designs, but they were indigenous modifications of the original designs. The stitch-and-glue plywood boat building had come of age in South India. 20

21 9. Growing Demand and New Boatyards When SI S got involved in boat building, there was a consensus among all the concerned agencies (CAT, Muttom yard, PCO, CDP, SI S & ITDG) that the responsibility for the future development of the technology should be in the hands of SI S. As an apex body of fishermen societies, it would be in the best position to ensure that the interests of the fishermen vis-à-vis the new technology would be fully protected. urther, SI S also had professionals working in it and therefore had the potential to develop and run a chain of boatyards. It also was in a better position to attract the right type of work force to continue the R&D effort. The boat designs were patented in the name of SI S and CAT handed over its development responsibilities to SI S. r. Gillet played a crucial role in this changeover. He spent considerable amount of time in SI S to ensure that SI S had a boat building department that could competently take up the work. He withdrew from his day-to-day responsibilities in Muttom and concentrated more on SI S. His aim was to leave behind a setup that would continue the work when he eventually would return to Belgium. Even in SI S, he gradually withdrew in 1986 and finally went back to Belgium in It is a great tribute to him that in the last five years the boat building activities have grown manifold despite his absence. With Anjengo unable to cope with the Quilon demand, even as early as in 1985, a new boatyard was promoted by SI S at Pallithottam in Quilon through the local societies. This boatyard has also been commercially successful and works with staff trained by SI S. The local demand got exhausted by 1987 but 21

22 the Quilon boatyard continues to thrive by selling boats to north Kerala and by concentrating on repair work. The growing population of plywood boats put greater pressure on the boatyards for boat repair work. Initially, most of the repair work had to be undertaken in the field, where conditions were far from ideal. Therefore in 1987, an exclusive plywood boat repair centre was started by SI S at Vizhinjam where the harbour facility ensures that all boats could be brought in round the year. In 1989, the ishermen Welfare Society, Quilon ( WS is the apex body of the Quilon Sangams and is affiliated to SI S), also started a separate repair centre at Neendakara, where a few hundred plywood boats operate seasonally. A fourth repair centre is being planned at Vallavilai in Kanyakumari district under the ownership of the Kanyakumari District ishermen Sanghams ederation (the apex body of the KSSS sanghams), which is affiliated to SI S. On the production front, to keep up with the demand, yet another boatyard was felt necessary. urther, the growing R&D programmes at SI S for boats and motors required better facilities. Therefore, in 1989, a new boat building complex was developed by the Veli lakeside near Trivandrum city. Most of the current R&D and training is being done at the Veli boatyard. Right from the beginning, the plywood boat project was based on the concept of technology promotion through an open market mechanism. The boat production was directly or indirectly under fishermen control. The boatyards were to be run as commercial setups that would ensure the sustainability of the new technology. 22

23 However, given the poverty of the fishermen and their inability to take over the R&D and promotional costs (passed on through the boat price), the entire R&D work and initial capital for boat building had been subsidised by ITDG and other agencies. The fishermen pays for through the boat price the raw material expenses, labour charge, boatyard overheads and depreciation. Thus, the boatyards are in a position to run their operations without any further subsidy. 10. The Private Boatyards As early as 1984 onwards, many small boatyards had come up in the private sector to cash in on the growing market for plywood boats. Many fly-by-night operators also entered the field. Most of them, after inflicting some distress on the fishermen, folded up. With SI S acting as the price leader, they used to cut on material and quality to make profits. At least a dozen boatyards have come and gone during the period. Often, they came into being because the demand for plywood boats would peak in a particular locality very rapidly and SI S was not in a position to respond quickly. This time factor was the main reason for some fishermen to patronise private yards, despite the fact that they would prefer to own a SI S boat any day. Generally, the private yards were run by small-time businessmen having close links to the coast and who had very meagre capital. The facilities were elementary, with leaky thatched sheds performing the role of boatyards. Most of them started by weaning away trained manpower from SI S. SI S had a regular intake of workers for training in view of its own growth needs and to compensate for the staff turnover. This in turn provided 23

24 the private yards with the possibility of having access to trained manpower. The companies supplying raw material like plywood, fiberglass and epoxy also played a role in promoting private boatyards. So as to increase their sale, they would provide technical information, which was otherwise not available to the private yards. Over the years, a few of the private yards have managed to survive and even thrive. Though it is acknowledged by all fishermen that their first preference is for a SI S boat, there are still occasions wherein they have no other alternative but to go to a private boatyard. Muttom normally has a waiting list for a full year, while the Anjengo and Veli yards have a waiting list for three months. But from the SI S point of view, it may not be desirable to enhance the infrastructure to cater to peak demand situations, which will mean low capacity utilisation during other times. We now see the private boatyards as a necessary evil. Since SI S holds the priceline, it is not possible for these yards to overcharge the fishermen. The corporate sector has not generally been attracted towards the new technology and the new market opportunities. The only such instance was when Esmario Enterprises, a prawn exporter and dealer for Mariner OBMs, started plywood boat production in Quilon. After producing seven boats, they found that there was no way they could compete with the SI S network and promptly backed out. Despite the imperfections in their technology and quality control, the private boatyards have at times played a creative role. An example is the role played by them in catering to the demands of the Pozhiyoor fishermen. Pozhiyoor, on the Trivandrum- Kanyakumari border has fishermen specialised on driftnetting, 24

25 who migrate all over the west coast for catching seer fish and tuna in the deep. They carry at least 400 Kg of webbing. Initially attracted to the Anjengo model, they found it inadequate for their purpose. SI S, who had no society in Pozhiyoor, were not convinced of the need for a larger vessel and given its long waiting list of orders, did not take the Pozhiyoor fishermen seriously. Some private yards however, boldly stepped in and made a 28 boat. Built rather poorly, these boats had several problems and the fishermen purchased at least 100 such boats. When the situation was finally understood by SI S, a new 28 design was produced with the help of ITDG engineer, Paul Calvert, and regular production started. The Pozhiyoor fishermen are now substituting their privately built boats with the new SI S boat. 11. Dugout Substitution in North Kerala SI S remains an apex body of fishermen societies in the three districts of Trivandrum, Quilon and Kanyakumari. Due to a number of reasons that cannot be elaborated here, SI S has not expanded its network to other districts yet. However, it was obvious that the plywood boat technology would be of great use to the fishermen of north Kerala (Calicut, Cannanore and Kasaragode district), where the dugout is the mainstay of the fishery. It must be more than ten years since a new dugout has been built. With the use of outboard motors, the life of the existing canoes are further shortened due to higher operating speeds and vibration. A second-hand 32 dugout can cost over Rs.50,000. Hence SI S decided in 1987 to promote plywood substitutes in the north. The existing plywood models were given on trials in selected villages and extensive demonstrations were 25

26 conducted. The northern fishermen were aware of the plywood boats, which were being used by the southern fishermen who migrate northward seasonally. But they had not seriously considered the possibility that they also could use plywood boats for their boat seine and other operations. The promotional work done by SI S in the north resulted in a growing awareness among the fishermen that the plywood boats could be suitable for their operations also. SI S had intended to follow up the promotion with boat building infrastructure in the north to cater to the demand generated, but various policy issues stood in the way of this expansion. Initially, the start of boat production without primary societies in the area posed a dilemma. Subsequently, the technological changes taking place in the north posed an even greater dilemma. The fishermen in the north have given up their kollivala boat seine and have shifted to the ring seine, which appears to be some what of an undesirable development given the existing high pressure on the inshore stocks. Many fishermen are also seasonally operating a mini trawl net very close to the shore. SI S is therefore cautious in making a technology intervention in the north without having any kind of control over the direction it will take. The private boatyards, however, have no such qualms: they have moved up north seeing the enormous market that is operating up. A few small entrepreneurs in the north have also started operations based on skilled workers from the south. The Quilon boatyards of SI S is also catering to a part of this demand. Purely market driven, it has launched 36 plyvalloms which are quite popular. The private boatyards have been quick to follow suit and are cashing on on the demand. Recently, a 42 plywood vallom has made its appearance in Quilandy in Calicut district. While the 26

27 boats sold in the north by the private yards are not of particularly good quality, fishermen do not have serious problems because the surf conditions are much more kinder in the north than in the south. The sea in the south is quick to expose even the smallest flaw in boat construction, but the sea in the north is much more tolerant. 12. Current R & D SI S has an ongoing R&D programme in plywood boats. Despite the basic stability of its three or four commercial models, regular fine-tuning is necessary to improve these models and to meet the changing requirements of the fishermen. This is very much the result of the fishery itself changing rapidly due to motorisation and other changes. The fishermen in the south are all the time trying to go deeper and do new things in order to survive and improve their lot. The SI S R&D efforts are currently focused on means to push the fishermen deeper and to make them stay longer at sea. Ice boxes, sunshades, safety devices etc. are undergoing trials as part of this effort. A new range of Veehull boats have also been developed to substitute the existing flat-bottomed fleet in view of the problems associated with fullthrottle operations and higher horsepower of the OBMs. Many of these products are yet to reach the stage of commercial production. A major issue now is the growing plywood shortage and increasing price of plywood. SI S is already working on a changeover to new materials. iberglass prototypes as well as strip-plank construction with cheaper timbers are being planned. As far as we are concerned, the fishing scenario in our project area is such that R&D cannot be a one shot affair. It has to be an ongoing process in view of the dynamism of the fishery itself. 27

28 13. Impact of the Project Biological impact Though originally conceived as a project for the mere substitution of the wooden Kattumarams, the plywood boat project ended up as a project to help the fishermen motorise and go deeper to tap new resources. While motorisation in central and north Kerala has led to more intensive exploitation of sardine and mackerel with the use of the ringseines, the motorisation with plywood boats in the south has led to substantial increase in depth of operation and the exploitation of new fishing grounds. There is of course considerable variation between villages in the zone. or instance, in the Quilon town area, the fishermen lack the aptitude for deeper water fishery and have not made the best use of the new technology. With this notable exception, plywood boats in the south have been used for reaching new fishing grounds. In Vizhinjam, the fishermen are going upto 150m depth with their hooks and lines and bring in a variety of species. A major speciality of the Vizhinjam fishermen is to chase tuna shoals with their surface lines and this has contributed to an increase in the tuna catches (mainly small tunnies). The Pozhiyoor fishermen use their drift net technique to catch seer and tuna in a big way. They migrate with their plywood boat and motor to various centres on the west coast of India (particularly in Kerala and Karnataka) to catch seer fish which is not fully exploited by the locals who concentrate more on the sardine and mackerel. In Enayam, Vallavilai and Kadiyapatanam, the fishermen have developed an excellent fishery based on long lining for perches. They go for hour trips and reach the edge of the Wadge bank for their long lining operations. Between December and April, export companies now find it possible to 28

29 get regular bulk catches of perches in these centres and are freezing and exporting these fishes. In the Anjengo belt, driftnetting for mackerel has grown substantially as a result of the plywood boat introduction. All of a sudden, mackerel which was a minor species in Trivandrum district has become very important. Equally important has been the development of a monsoon fishery in Anjengo. Previously during the rough monsoon months, June-August, the fishermen used to migrate with their Kattumarams to Quilon where it is relatively calmer. But with the plywood boats and OBMs they have developed the technique of powering their way through the monsoon surf to bring catches that were otherwise not landed. One can safely say that the contribution of the plywood boats in tapping new fishing grounds has been enormous. These boats have not only extended the area of fishing in their home bases but are also contributing significantly to the fishing effort in other parts of the west coast with their migratory operations. It should be understood however, that the plywood boat technology is only a facilitating factor in this. It is the extraordinary dynamism of the Kanyakumari and Trivandrum fishermen that is responsible for making this new technology so useful and productive. The same technology in north Kerala is probably being used to more intensively exploit the inshore waters. Thus the skill and aptitude of the fishermen is critical for the successful and beneficial use of new craft technology. Economic Impact The economic impact also varies from location to location. The physical productivity and gross earnings of the plywood boats 29

30 range between five to ten times that of the Kattumaram. The exception to this is once again Quilon town where the motorised plywoods boats have at best a marginally higher productivity than that of the non motorised dugouts. When it comes to net earnings, the picture varies quite a bit. The returns are excellent for the Anjengo region where the fishermen fish round the year from their home base. The returns are probably even better for the migrant fishermen of Pozhiyoor, Neendakara, Vallavila and Enayam. In Vizhinjam, where fishermen go really deep but are based round the year at Vizhinjam itself, the returns show a declining trend. The harbour at Vizhinjam has given rise to a heavy concentration of plywood boats (about 1,000 boats operate from here during the monsoon months) which results in intensive competition and reduced returns. Given that the returns are largely skill related, the artisanal character of the fishery is very much intact. Outside investors have not moved in as is true of the mechanised trawl sector in Kerala. The fishermen continue to control the means of production and derive benefits from it. Though the sharing system has changed to accommodate the increased capital input, the crew share is still substantial and varies between 50-75% of the common divisible income. In many centres it is economically better to be a crewmember than an owner. Detailed information on the economic performance of the plywood boats are available in the study on motorisation published by SI S and PCO in The growing cost of the plywood boat as a result of increasing raw material prices is causing concern for the future. 30

31 Table 1 Prices of various Plywood Models (Jul 92) Deck Boats Ind.Rupees GK26 45,000 GK28 48,000 Vallam Model Quilon Model 26' 27,000 Anjengo Model 26' 33,500 Pozhiyoor Model 28' 37,750 N.Kerala Model 36' 45,000 Note: a. Prices are taken from SIFFS boatyards. Private yards are likely to change prices that are similar or lower by Rs.500/-. b. Quilon model does not normally have FRP sheathing. All other models have FRP sheathing. All other models have FRP sheathing. The substantial increase in the OBM price as a result of devaluation and other factors is fast putting the technology beyond the reach of the ordinary fishermen. Some of the centres where the returns are positive today may find it unprofitable with the increasing investment costs. This is why SI S current R&D is aimed at cost reduction and better returns (increasing fishing time and the value of the fish caught through better preservation). Technological Impact While there may be a question mark over the biological and economic impact of plywood boats in certain centres (like Quilon town), it is the technological impact that has given the plywood boat project its present recognition. The rapid absorption and spread of the boat building technology is itself a matter of wonder for most agencies who have been struggling for years in 31

32 promoting new boat technologies. The figures speak for themselves. In mid 1991, it was estimated that there were 2,500 stitch-and-glue plywood boats in Kerala and Kanyakumari. Table 2 District-wise Plywood Boat Population (1991) Kanyakumari Trivandrum Quilon Malappuram Calicut Cannanore Kasaragode Total 584 1, ,462 Note: a. A handful of boats have been sold to Goa. b. The figures relate to boats belonging to the respective districts but actual operation could be anywhere on the west coast of India due to seasonal migrations. Source: A census of the Artisanal Marine Fishing Fleet of Kerala (1991), South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies. Today the figure will be closer to 3,000. The total work force engaged on the plywood boats will be no less than 15,000. While the plywood boats dominate the three districts where SI S operates, they also have an impact in north Kerala. urther, the migrant fishermen are taking this boat to other parts of the west coast of India, particularly Karnataka state and making a contribution to the fish production in those states. About half the craft in operation have been built by the SI S network of boatyards while the remaining are from various private yards. While it shows the dominant role of SI S in promoting the new technology, it also indicates that the technology has been absorbed by the others and will spread even further. Though based on designs by foreign consultants, the current designs 32

33 are more or less indigenous, with the boatyards showing great capacity for innovation and improvements. A large work force is now trained in this technology. There are at least 100 trained workers in the SI S boatyard network itself. Table 3 Plywood Boats Produced by SIFFS Network of Yards Year Muttom Anjengo Quilon Veli Total * Total * Upto 30th June At the level of the individual fishermen also the technology has made a deep impact. In the beginning stages, the fishermen could at best tell whether they liked a particular boat or not. Now, with experience, they advise the boat builders on both construction and design. It was this kind of a growth in the fishermen s level of understanding that made SI S hand over its Anjengo boatyard to the local societies for day-to-day management. In Anjengo, the fishermen have mastered the nuances of the technology as well as the management of the 33

34 boatyard. The same is the case in Quilon, where the Pallithottam boatyard has been under local management since its inception in The current R&D of SI S depends considerably on fishermen knowledge and advice. 14. Lessons of the Project The plywood boat project is rich with experiences and gives the opportunity to draw several lessons that could be useful for SI S in the future as well as other agencies working elsewhere. The basic question that needs answering is : why did the technology click and spread so rapidly? Reasons for Success 1. The objective condition in Kerala and Kanyakumari favoured the new technology. The crisis in the inshore fishery and the consequent need to motorise, created a potential demand for new fishing craft. It is because of this that what started off as a timber substitution project ended up as a project for upgrading fishing technology. The direction taken by the project was largely dictated by the dynamics in the fisheries sector itself rather than by the wisdom of the organisers. 2. The presence of NGOs with a long history of work among fisherfolk was extremely crucial for the initial formulation and successful execution of the project. The objective reasons mentioned earlier probably existed in other parts of Kerala also, where motorisation picked up in a large way. The absence of new craft technologies in these regions clearly indicates the importance of the NGO network in the south. If it were just a question of external agencies providing a design to local boat 34

35 builders, many other initiatives in this region and elsewhere would have been equally successful. The role played by the NGOs and their commitment to the welfare of the fishermen should not be underestimated. 3. The relationship between the designer and funding agency on the one hand, and the NGOs and local fishermen on the other, was extremely important for the success of the project. The funding agency and the designer were extremely flexible in their approach and adapted their own approach to the demands made by the local organisations. If ITDG had not provided timely assistance to salvage the leaking kottar kats, the project might have had a premature death. Right throughout, the direction and pace of the project was determined by the locals and not imposed from outside. Nobody had a vested interest in success and therefore there was no pressure to show results for the sake of results. If something did not click in a particular season, all participants were willing to wait for the next session. 4. The role of some extraordinary individuals also need special mention. Without them, it is quite possible that the project would not have taken off, however favorable the conditions were. r. Gillet was no doubt the key man and it is extremely doubtful that without his vision, wisdom and abilities, the project would have succeeded. However, the roles played by Edwin Gifford and the ITDG s project manager, Jeremy Herklots should not be underestimated. Likewise, the crucial role of.m.t Raj, the manager of the Muttom boatyard cannot also be forgotten. A brief discussion on the roles played by these individuals is worth having at this juncture. 35

36 Pierre Gillet This extraordinary combination of an engineer-priest was a great boon to the project. His equally deep understanding of technology and people played a very crucial role. The seven years he spent in Kanyakumari district before the plywood boat project gave him a deep insight into the local fishery and the fishermen psyche. He had respect for the fishermen s knowledge, but was also aware of its limitations. This made him an interpreter par excellence of fishermen feedback. Many of his thumb rules in dealing with fishermen are still followed by SI S. His ability to inspire people has given us a whole new generation of technical manpower committed to the welfare of the fishermen. He commanded the right type of respect from both the fishermen and the external agencies. Edwin Gifford An extremely creative person with immense drive, Gifford shunned the ordinary and routine. He took risks and tried offbeat solutions. A civil engineer by profession, boat building was his hobby and passion. He was willing to put up with very difficult situations and often spent his own time and money for the sake of the project. He refused to be a mere consultant and had a great deal of personal stake in its success. His background in providing services to the private sector made him cost conscious and was willing to make compromises in the design to bring down the cost of the boat to a level the fishermen could afford. He therefore believed in building upward from a minimum structure boat. 36

37 Jeremy Herklots Jeremy as ITDG s representative ensured that the funding agency s approach remained flexible. A man deeply committed to all just causes, he went far beyond the call of his job to help the project. He fought pitched battles in ITDG to see that it remained a locally controlled project and not an ITDG project. He kept out the usual photographers and fund raising department staff so that the project did not get the premature publicity that kills such projects. He was extremely sensitive to local sentiments and the local organisations saw him as their man in ITDG..M.T Raj Raju, as he is generally known, is an educated fisher youth who had ordered a boat for his father at the Muttom Boatyard and ended up working in it after r.gillet found his instinctive technical knowledge and aptitude remarkable. His role in the development of the Kottarkat and its regular production is acknowledged by r.gillet as very crucial. His ability to deal with fishermen and the workers helped to ensure the transition of the Muttom Boatyard from a project to a commercial yard. 5. The existence of the SI S network played a major role in the promotion of the technology and in making sure that the technology was at all stages beneficial to the local fishermen. It ensured that the fishermen had some control over the new technology and did not get fleeced by various private interests. It also ensured that there exists a permanent institutional arrangement for R&D to keep alive the benefits of the project. 37