Mangaluru: Traditional fishermen in Dakshina Kannada are grappling with one of their toughest monsoon seasons in recent years, with frequent weather disruptions and poor catches restricting fishing activity to barely two weeks so far and sharply reducing earnings.Fishermen said they have ventured into the sea on only around 14 days this season, compared with about 25 fishing days usually available in July. The reduced fishing window, coupled with poor catches and rising costs, has left many struggling to stay afloat.Ashwath, president of the Karavali Mula Meenugarara Sanghatane and a nadadoni operator, said weather alerts and district administration advisories kept fishermen ashore for most of August, with boats venturing out only on Thursday.“Even when we go out, the catch is too poor to recover fuel and other operational costs,” he said.While a few fishermen earned Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000 on Thursday, such returns were rare. Ashwath said operational costs have risen sharply, with kerosene expenses alone touching Rs 10,000 a day. Poor catches are also forcing fishermen to travel farther towards Manjeshwar and Padubidri, increasing fuel consumption.Sardines have remained relatively abundant, but catches of key monsoon varieties such as prawns and croaker are well below last year’s levels, he said.Sardines fetched Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg Thursday before rising to a seasonal high of Rs 260 per kg Friday.Other fishermen said frequent weather alerts had significantly reduced fishing opportunities. Some also blamed practices such as light fishing, deep-sea fishing and bull trawling for declining fish stocks.
