Email
PrintArtificial reefs give hope to tsunami fishermen
Workers move a large reef-ball into position before it is deployed in the sea. Oxfam partner Centre for Environment Education (CEE) has developed this innovative way of increasing fish stocks, which were drastically reduced by the tsunami, and so boost the livelihoods of an estimated 500 families. Photo: Marie Banu Jawahar/Oxfam
The tsunami did not only have an impact on the human population. Fish stocks were also depleted, causing a major additional concern for the fishing communities that were traumatised by the disaster.
The Centre for Environment Education (CEE), an Oxfam partner in South India, has been creating artificial fish habitats in the coastal belt of Karaikal to increase the fish population.
Any material that is put into the sea, whether it floats or sinks, will provide a substratum for algae to be formed. Fish come to feed on the algae, and they in turn are prey for larger fish. This is something that traditional fisher folk along this coast have known for a long time.
They used to attach pieces of wood to something secure, from catamarans to concrete blocks, and place them in the sea to promote the growth of algae and seaweed. These pieces of wood served as an artificial fish habitat but only lasted three to four months, meaning it was a continuous process for the fishermen to keep installing such devices in the sea.
Now CEE has designed a reef ball which can be manufactured locally to reduce costs. These are solid structures that can withstand strong currents when placed in the sea and which promote the formation of coral reefs. They help to increase the size of the fish catch without the need to venture further out to sea, with the added benefit of reducing fuel costs.
The cost of manufacturing and positioning one is 6,500 rupees ($165). Fifty units are being deployed by CEE to benefit around 500 fishing families living in four villages on the coast of Karaikal.
Technical advice has been given by the National Institute of Ocean Technology, which estimates that in two years’ time, the catch will increase by 30 times. It believes each unit will last at least 50 years.
CEE’s initiative is the first of its kind in India, and it has worked in close coordination with the government’s fisheries department to ensure there are no trawlers operating in the area.
For months after the tsunami, the fishermen stayed away from the sea out of fear. Even when they had returned, they found that their catch had been considerably reduced.
Now, thanks to artificial fish homes, they are hoping that times of plenty are near again.
Story by Marie Banu Jawahar