The study highlighted both the indispensable role of migrant workers and the vulnerabilities they face in Kerala’s thriving fisheries economy.
Published Sep 02, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 02, 2025 | 9:00 AM
A group of fishermen in Varkala, Kerala. (iStock)
Synopsis: Migrant workers have surpassed locals in the state’s marine fisheries sector, accounting for nearly 60 percent of its workforce. The findings, part of a national-level research, underline how migrants have become the backbone of one of the state’s most critical economic and livelihood providers.
The salty air along Kerala’s coast carries a paradox today: While the state’s own youth are casting their nets elsewhere, it is migrant hands that now haul in much of the daily catch.
A summary of an ongoing study by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) revealed that migrant workers have surpassed locals in the state’s marine fisheries sector, accounting for nearly 60 percent of its workforce.
At Munambam harbour in Ernakulam, the figure soars to 78 percent, where men from Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Odisha and Assam now haul the nets once manned by Kerala’s youth.
As local youngsters drift away from the seas, deterred by shrinking incomes and vanishing fish stocks, it is migrants who keep the sector afloat — though often at the cost of enduring harsh work, exploitation, and life without safety nets.
It’s the finding of a preliminary study by the ICAR–Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), which revealed that migrant labourers now dominate Kerala’s marine fisheries sector, accounting for 58 percent of its fishing workforce.
The findings, part of a national-level research on the changing dynamics of labour migration in the Indian marine fisheries sector, underline how migrants have become the backbone of one of the state’s most critical economic and livelihood providers.
The study, conducted across harvest, post-harvest, and market segments, was presented at a consultative workshop held at CMFRI, Kochi, on 27 August.
It highlighted both the indispensable role of migrant workers and the vulnerabilities they face in Kerala’s thriving fisheries economy.
Among Kerala’s harbours, Munambam in Ernakulam emerged as the hub of migrant labour, with 78 percent of its mechanised fishing workforce drawn from outside the state.
Workers from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Odisha form the bulk of this group, with their presence also significant in post-harvest units (50 percent) and fish markets (40 percent).
Kerala, one of India’s leading producers and consumers of marine fish, relies heavily on its fisheries to meet both livelihood and nutritional needs.
Around 10.24 lakh fisherfolk depend directly on the sector, which provides nearly 80 percent of the state’s animal protein requirements.
Fishing also plays a vital role in the economy, contributing nearly three percent to Kerala’s revenue, with exports adding to the global footprint of its marine products.
The study flagged an unsettling trend: A growing disinterest among younger generations — both native and migrant — in pursuing fishing as a livelihood.
Rising costs, debt crises, and the uncertainties caused by climate change have pushed traditional fisherfolk away from the seas. The younger, better-educated generation in Kerala increasingly views the sector as unattractive, despite the relatively high wages the state offers compared to other coastal regions.
“In Kerala, fishers can broadly be categorised into traditional, non-motorised, and mechanised groups,” explained Dr Shyam S Salim, Principal Scientist at CMFRI and the Principal Investigator of the project.
“While the traditional sector once dominated, now nearly 80 percent of landings come from mechanised boats — and it is here that the migrant presence is highest. If the younger generation continues to stay away, the dependence on migrant labour will only grow,” he told South First.
The CMFRI study also shed light on sharp differences in income and spending patterns between natives and migrants. Native workers earn slightly higher wages — around ₹30,000 per month in harvest centres compared to migrants’ ₹25,000.
In post-harvest units, migrant incomes fall drastically to just ₹11,000 per month.
While native fishers allocate 20–30 percent of their income to savings and significant shares to education and housing, migrants remit up to 75 percent of their earnings to their families in their home states.
Many live in boats or cramped quarters near harbours, spending minimally on housing or amenities in Kerala.
Despite their dominance in the sector, migrant workers remain highly vulnerable.
They face exploitation, health risks, isolation, and discrimination, while native fishers grapple with off-season unemployment, indebtedness, and inadequate credit access.
The presence of migrant workers in Kerala’s fisheries is not new. Tamil Nadu labourers once powered the state’s marine sector before opportunities back home drew many of them away.
“Tamil Nadu now has a strong fishing industry of its own, with centres like Thengapattanam and Muttom bustling with activity,” Dr Salim noted.
“Today, migrants from West Bengal and Odisha have taken their place in Kerala’s harbours. Nothing is alarming in this — labour mobility has always been part of the sector’s dynamics,” he added.
Similar migration patterns exist elsewhere: Odisha labourers move to Andhra Pradesh, while fishers from Andhra Pradesh work in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
However, Kerala stands out with its higher proportion of migrant workers, a reflection of both its higher labour charges and the reluctance of local youth to enter the trade.
The consultative workshop in Kochi, attended by native and migrant stakeholders, identified urgent policy interventions to safeguard fisher labour welfare. Housing, health coverage, education support, debt relief, and compensation for fishers during climate-induced fishing bans emerged as priority areas.
Fishery Deputy Director Dr Maja Jose assured participants that the government would consider measures to address the concerns of migrant workers “in the best possible manner.”
Dr Salim emphasised that the findings are preliminary, part of a three-year ICAR study covering 120 sectors across coastal India.
“We have completed two years of research, and stakeholder consultations like this are critical before the final report is prepared. The comprehensive findings will be submitted by June 2026,” he said.
Similar stakeholder workshops are scheduled in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra later this year.
As Kerala’s marine fisheries continue to feed millions, power exports, and shape local livelihoods, the sector’s future hinges on its ability to balance the reliance on migrant labour with the urgent need to make fishing sustainable and attractive to the next generation.
Meanwhile, this is not the first time that the presence of a migrant labour force in Kerala’s fishing sector has been highlighted.
A 2017 study by the Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development found that the industry has grown heavily dependent on migrants due to an acute shortage of local workers.
With senior fishers retiring and very few young Keralites entering the profession, boat owners increasingly turn to workers from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Jharkhand.
Fishers from Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, known for their skill and willingness for deep-sea expeditions, captain most trawlers operating from Kerala, while migrants from Odisha and the Sundarbans, along with non-traditional workers from Assam and West Bengal, form the majority of the crew.
Many moved to Kerala seeking better wages and to escape exploitative conditions or restrictions—such as turtle-related fishing bans—on their home coasts.
The study noted that newcomers often take months to master skills, starting with sorting fish before working in nets and catches.
Typically, captains earn a double share of the catch, while crew members get single shares.
Beyond fishing, Kerala’s fish processing industry also thrives on migrant labour, with hubs like Aroor, Neendakara and Sakthikulangara employing large numbers of men and women from Assam, Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Nagaland.
Migrants also work in harbours, ice plants, and loading operations, often staying in dormitories provided by employers.
The study concluded that migrant workers have become indispensable to sustaining Kerala’s marine economy both at sea and onshore.
At the same time, a recent study published in Space and Culture, India has highlighted the grim health challenges faced by inter-state migrants working in Kerala’s marine fisheries sector.
Drawn by higher wages and steady cash flow, thousands of workers from North and Eastern India toil in this unskilled sector, often spending 10 to 15 days at sea, cramped alongside heavy equipment and exposed to harsh conditions.
Prolonged working hours, lack of sanitation, and limited access to clean drinking water severely compromise their health.
The study reveals that 10 percent of these migrants suffer from diabetes and hypertension, while cardiovascular diseases affect around two percent.
More alarming are the occupational hazards — musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal issues, urinary tract infections, and skin diseases — stemming from strenuous labour, unsanitary environments, and poor diets.
Despite this, very few migrants report illnesses early, primarily due to a lack of awareness and inadequate healthcare access. Institutional barriers, such as the absence of proper identification, further prevent timely medical support.
Even as the CMFRI findings pointed to a shrinking local workforce in Kerala’s fishing sector, trade unions and stakeholders remain divided on its findings.
Kerala Swathanthra Matsya Thozhilali Federation President Jackson Pollayil dismissed the study as “erroneous,” claiming that it may have wrongly factored in boats from other states docking at major harbours like Beypore and Munambam.
“Youngsters are not completely abandoning fishing. They join seasonally, mostly between June and October, and later switch to other jobs since depending solely on fishing is no longer viable due to frequent weather alerts and suspensions,” he told South First.
However, Peter Mathias of the All Kerala Fishing Boat Operators Association sees the development as part of a larger demographic labour shift.
“Deep-sea fishing is unpredictable and risky. The younger generation, with better educational qualifications, naturally prefers safer, alternative careers. Migrant labour fills this vacuum, creating a new work culture in the sector,” he told South First.
As migrant workers increasingly anchor the state’s fisheries, the sector faces a turning point: balancing its reliance on this indispensable workforce with policies that ensure dignity, safety, and sustainability. Unless fishing is made viable and attractive for the next generation, Kerala’s coastline may continue to echo a paradox — where the wealth of the sea is hauled ashore by those from far away.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
