COASTAL ENVIRONMENTThe coastal environment is an interface between land and marine water. This ecosystem is valuable to humans from the dawn of civilisation. Human, biological and social needs are readily met by coastal zone. It has been estimated that by 2000 A.D., 75% of the population of the world will be living in the coastal zone. This is also true in other developing maritime countries. Coastal ecosystem is under threat due to anthropogenic activities, increased human settlement, industrial pollution, etc. KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT AND ITS COAST Kanyakumari the smallest District in Tamil Nadu, with a land spread of 1,684 sq. Km. has almost all ecosystems - forests, wetlands, freshwater resources, marine, etc. Agricultural resources like plantation crops (Spices, rubber), banana, coconut, paddy, etc. are also produced. Among all this, coastal environment is very important with respect to fish production and fisher folk's employment. The coastal ecosystem of this District comprises 68 Km in length and is studded with 44 coastal fishing villages. Since this District is situated at the extreme south of the Indian subcontinent, the coastline is formed nearly by three seas, namely, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. But the main part of the coast faces the Arabian Sea. The coastal landscape of Kanyakumari District is mainly composed of beach ridges of rocky, sandy and swampy nature in the estuarine regions. The 68 km long coast has a heavy concentration of fisher-folk, almost one village per 1.5 km. On the eastern end of the coast is located Vattakottai (circular fort), a historically important place. On the western end of this village is situated Cape Comorin. The coast extends upto Neerodi coastal village. According to an estimate 1, 18,387 fisher-folks are distributed in the 44 villages of Kanyakuamari coast and constitute about 26 percent of the total fishermen of Tamil Nadu. Fisher-folks do not own land but put their hut on the seashore on unsurveyed land. Most of the villages are having tiled and thatched roofs. In each village a few houses have concrete roofing; the owners of these houses are working in some other countries as drivers, crane operators, etc. A few educated fishermen settled down in the inland are doing teaching and other office jobs. Still, the economy of the coastal villages is not satisfactory. The marine capture fisheries sector has an important place in the District's economy. It is sad to note that, among the fisher-folk population, only 44 percent is fully employed, 52 percent occasionally and 4 percent partially. The fishing job may not be secure during lean season particularly during the June. At the time of fishing season i.e. during August to November many species of fishes are caught. THE FISHER-FOLK OF THE COAST The fisher-folk of this coastal belt belong to two castes: the Bharathas and Mukkuvars. The first constitutes a very ancient group, famous already during Tamil Sangam period. Each of these castes has two sub-castes. The are Kadalodies, mainly sea-going fishermen and Menakkadans who are educated and doing business of other kinds, Both groups are gazetted as most backward community for getting education, employment, housing, etc. Under the fishermen free housing scheme, Tamil Nadu government has allotted 2487 houses in different coastal villages of Kanyakumari District. When detailed analysis was made from previous records (of census report from Director of fisheries) it is evident that in housing, an improvement could be noted. During 1982 there were only 184 terraced houses with sanitary facilities in nine villages (Periavilai, Azhikkal, Maramadi, Kodimunai, Kurumbanai, Kadiapattinam, Melakurumbanai and Eraviputhenthurai). Now in these villages an additional 470-terraced house have been built. This indicates awareness among fisher-folks of having better living places. Another survey in Kovalam village shows that concrete houses have gone upto 56% of the total houses of the village. But in this village the fisher-folk have had no government help. Lack of sanitary facilities is prevalent in the coastal areas. Mostly the people use the coast as open latrine. Under the Fishermen Free Housing Scheme, construction of sanitary latrine facilities was provided by the government as well as UNICEF. Totally 1494 sanitary latrines were provided in different coastal villages of Kanyakumari District. Not all sanitary latrines are used by fisher-folks; men prefer to have open latrine on the seashore. So educating them on this aspect is needed. All the above three programmes were executed by Centre for Appropriate Technology (CAT), an NGO operating in the District. They are; 1. 'Fishermen Free Housing' by Tamilnadu government. 2. 'Sanitary Latrine facilities' by UNICEF. 3. 'Smokeless chulah' by TEDA. ESTUARIES Estuaries are part of this natural environment, which is greatly exploited. The estuaries and coastal waters are dynamic and are more productive because of the monsoon rains and enormous quantities of nutrients transported by floods. Hence several varieties of finfish, prawns, crabs, lobsters, stomatopods, clams mussels and oysters of commercial significance have been identified from this environment, which provided good breeding grounds. The estuaries are thus playing a vital role in the renewing of marine resources. In India 1.5 million ha of brackish water has been identified. In Kanyakumari District nearly 1000 ha of estuarine environment could be identified as potential for fisheries resources. There are three important riverine ecosystems, which confluence with Arabian Sea. They are; 1. Thengapattinam estuary, formed by the confluence of river Tampirabarani in between Thengapattinam and Eraiummanthurai. 2. Valliyar estuary formed by the river Valloiyar near Kadiapattinam. 3. Manakudy estuary formed by the confluence of river Pazhayar in between East and West Manakudy villages. Apart from these are two minor estuaries also: they are
WADGE BANK Wadge bank is a fertile fishing found where rich marine biological diversity occurs. Wadge bank may also be defined as a place of marine environment. Where rich availability of fish food organisms is available. The water depth of this region is low. The physical features of the water like under water current, tides and waves will have less impact on the fishes and animals of this region. Fishes select this region for feeding and breeding purposes. Throughout the maritime countries of the world there are about twenty such wadge banks. Of these one is situated near Kanyakumari on the coastline of Kanyakumari District on the eastward as well as on the westward region for about 30 Km. Here representatives of fish species of the three seas are occurring. FISHERY RESOURCES AND FISHING INFRASTRUCTURE 1. Sea Weed Since the coastline of this District spreads towards the west coast and east coast of the southern tip of our country, representative fishery resources of the three seas swarm around here. From time immemorial the local fishermen have understood the ecology, the feeding habits and the biology of breeding of fishes occurring in this coast. The fishes once caught for local consumption are now exported to neighboring Districts and also to Kerala. About two hundred and twenty species are available in this District. They are both from fresh and marine waters of which more than one hundred and forty species are available from marine sector. Apart from this, shell fishes like mussels, oysters, corals, chunk, etc. are also obtained by the fisher-folks during the harvest. It has been estimated that an annual harvest of important species of seaweeds are:
2. Light Houses To help seagoing fishermen during nighttime this coastal region has two lighthouses. They are situated
3 Fishing craft Mainly four types of crafts are used for fishing in the District and they are.
Some of the Kattumaram and Vallam are now using engines of different kinds. The important among them is Lambaradini, which is mainly used in Kattumaram. The engines are Yamaha, Suzuki and kirloskar. The are used in Vallam. 4. Fishing gear There are different types if fishing gears. To name a few.
Apart from these, there are specific fishing gears for capturing specific species of fishes. (Valai means net)
5. Species of fishes Important species of fish captured in this coastal belt are listed below:
6.Fish catch Total annual marine fish catch from 1984 to 1994 will be able to give an idea of the present fisheries resource.
7. Traditional and modern fishing methods It is known fact that marine fisheries are depleted throughout the world. Past estimate of the world annual potential supply of fish from all sources have ranged from 100-120 million tonnes. However it is now evident that marine fish catches are adversely affected and the yield is to the extent of that marine fish catches are adversely affected and the yield is to the extent of 80 million tonnes only. To give an example, in South Asian region following three decades of development, particularly during the years 1976-1983, the rate of marine fish harvest and dropped by two percent per annum. It has been felt that traditional fishing communities used technologies that do not kill or hurt marine species. People and marine fish resources co-existed along the Indian coast over centuries. The coexistence has now been threatened by the introduction of technologies such as trawlers and mechanised craft and their indiscriminate use. This introduction of modern technologies in fishing crafts and gears has created social unrest among the fisher-folk. Traditional fishermen go to sea and return to the shore with empty crafts. In Kanyakumari seacoast, conflicts are rampant recently. It cannot be denied that technologies like mechanisation of fishing crafts and introduction of purse seining and bottom trawling are powerful but greatly destructive. These modern technologies scoop up whole shoals of fish right from young ones to gravid. Hence renewability of sea with new recruit has been lost and at the same time scooping unwanted organisms also has broken important links of this food chain of marine ecosystem. Traditional fishermen used catamaran and eco-friendly nets, which capture fish of specific size. The have understood the breeding season of fishes. In Kanyakumari District it is often described as Thethu. There are four Thethus or seasons according to the availability of fish shaol, water current, wind direction and the colour of the seawater. According to these only, fishermen go to the sea. This has given the margin to fishes to breed and to grow. By this naturally new recruits and renewability in the marine environment is possible. This approach never depleted fish biomass in the marine environment. Because of this, time and again, traditional communities are insisting on the total banning of trawl net (bottom trawlers) and insist on the regulation of fishing during breeding season. In the coastal region of this District there is only one fishing harbour at Chinnamuttom. Because of the construction of semi circular breakwater enclosure, fishing vessels could be berthed at the time of landing as wells as during rough sea. This hrabour could accommodate 240 mechanised crafts and nearly 1000 country vessels, ie, Kattumaram. Nearly 4,000 fishermen from neighboring coastal villages have registered and they are issued with identity cards to use the harbour. The mechanised boats can catch 15,000 to 25,000 kg of fish per day. But during non-seasonal months the catch per boat will be 700-8000 Kg/day. It has been recorded that in seasonal landings in Kanyakumari fishing village nearly 81,000 kg per month was obtained. Most if the mechanised boats used longlines with baited hooks and also trawler nets. Comparatively, the Chinnamuttom harbour is sage with good facility for fish landings. There is a need for development of such harbours one on Colachel and another in Thengaipattinam. This will ease the crowding situation in other fishing villages. Another advantage is easy transport to the marketing paces before the catch perishes.
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