Fishing crisis in Dakshina Kannada: 80% boats docked

Dakshina Kannada is experiencing a severe fishing crisis. Nearly 80% of the 1,500 fishing boats in the region are currently anchored due to low fish catches. This situation has left many fishermen unable to recover their investments or pay their loans. Dilip Kumar, the deputy director of the fisheries department, noted that the fishing season started well but quickly declined. He attributed the problem to the effects of El Niño and changing sea temperatures, which have caused fish to migrate. Additionally, overfishing is thought to be worsening the crisis. This is the third straight year of poor fishing yields. Statistics show a concerning trend. In August 2024, the fish catch was 45,050 metric tonnes, slightly up from the previous year. However, catches dropped significantly in the following months. September saw a catch of 33,761 metric tonnes, while October fell to 28,875. November brought a decrease to 19,042 metric tonnes, and December saw a dramatic drop to just 6,059 metric tonnes. The situation improved slightly in January and February 2025, but still remained lower than last year’s figures. The total catch for the last fishing year was 239,758 metric tonnes. With the monsoon approaching, a fishing ban until August 15 is expected, which will prevent fishing for 75 days to protect fish breeding. The state government has reached out to the Union government for a uniform fishing ban across states to support sustainable practices. Mohan Bengre, former president of the Purse Seine Boat Fishermen Association, criticized harmful fishing practices like light fishing. He called for a three-month fishing ban along the west coast to help fish populations recover. The crisis is not only threatening fish populations but also leading to job losses and significant drops in diesel consumption, indicating a significant impact on the local economy.