Socio-economic impact of cyclone Ockhi on fishers along the Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts, India

The tropical cyclone Ockhi which hit the Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts of the Indian subcontinent in December 2017, was an unusual cyclone, with its rapid intensification and unpredictable path. An analysis of the impact of Ockhi on the losses in man-days, catch, and revenue indicated that in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the estimated revenue losses due to the loss in fishing days were $15.17 and 1.85 million, respectively. The mechanized sector had the highest revenue loss while the number of man-days lost was highest in the motorized sector. In Kerala, 3,21,495 man-days of fishers directly engaged in marine fishing activities were lost, while in Tamil Nadu, it was 1,06,250. The vulnerability of the fishermen community, as indicated by the reduction in the catch, loss in fishing infrastructure, and lives of 449 fishermen, clearly demands the need to increase the adaptive capacity of fishers by more robust early warning systems and by making satellite vessel tracking systems mandatory for fishing crafts.

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