After tsunami, fishermen enter a new sea

Babu admits that if he could find a job paying at least 100 rupees ($2.50) a day, he would give up fishing. Before the tsunami, fishing was very lucrative: paying hundreds of rupees per day.

This area, called the Fishing Harbor, is one of the biggest fish markets in the region. It was moderately affected by the tsunami with around 50 fatalities and just a quarter of its 1,000 boats damaged or lost. More fishermen would be going to work if it weren't for the solidarity their affected friends demand. Apparently, the worst-hit fishermen are afraid the government won't give them the aid promised if fishing activities begin normalizing. None of the bigger boats is being taken out. Other than a few fiber boats, only catamarans currently ply the sea.

Catamarans are easy to build because all they need are a few logs tied together. For this reason, they are also more treacherous. But fishermen are driven by their immediate needs. "Hunger," is K. Jaykumar's motivation, he says. "At least we'll get 50 to 100 rupees per day if we go out," he adds, shoving his catamaran to the sea.

Before docking his boat, Jalendran pulls up to the fish market to see what others have caught. Some baskets have come in from earlier boats, but business is sluggish. "Only a few from outside are coming to buy. Most of the fish is bought within the community," says S. Lalitha, one of the fish sellers.

"We used to have a turnover of 10 million rupees [$232,558] per day, now it's not even 100,000 rupees [$2,326]," says A. Jayendran, honorary president of the fishermen's association.

R. Sathyadas, an economist at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Cochin, says that even before the tsunami, fish exports were declining due to the WTO and other factors. "The tsunami will aggravate the situation," he says.

Dasnavis Fernando, chairman of Victoria Marine and Aqua Exports, has a different view. He says pre-tsunami factors could have only contributed to a "marginal fall."

"Export from marine fishing has gone down 95 percent after the tsunami. It's likely to pick up in a month," says Mr. Fernando. "In five to six months, there will be recovery."

Velu recalls the pre-tsunami days when the market would bustle with jostling buyers, competitive retailers and wholesalers, and fishermen auctioning their catch. "Of course, it'll be the same again when the fishermen start going out as before."

INDIA

Around 2,000 fishing boats were lost

INDONESIA

In one Aceh province, 70 percent of small-scale fishing fleet destroyed

SRI LANKA

80 percent of coastal fishing vessels were destroyed, including 19,000 boats

THAILAND

4,500 fishing boats and gear have been lost or damaged

SOURCES: AP, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, ESRI

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