Migrant labourers comprise 58 per cent of workers in Kerala’s fisheries sector: CMFRI

KOchi, migrator labourers overtop Kerala’s devil dog fisheries sphere, method of accounting for 58 per cent of the fishing workforce, according to a study by the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. The study, conducted across harvest, post-harvest and market segments, indicates that migrant workers have emerged as the backbone of the marine sector in the state, a CMFRI release said. The findings were from the Kerala component of the national research project on changing dynamics of labour migration on employment, livelihoods and resource productivity patterns in the Indian marine fisheries sector. The study found that Munambam harbour in Ernakulam district has the highest concentration of migrant labourers 78 per cent in Kerala’s mechanised fishing sector. The migrant labourers are mostly from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha, the release said, quoting the study. Migrants constitute 50 per cent in post-harvest units and 40 per cent in fish markets, it added. The study also revealed that there was a growing disinterest among the younger generations both native and migrant in pursuing a livelihood in the marine sector, indicating uncertainty about the long-term sustainability of the workforce in this field, the release said. The findings were presented at a consultative workshop held at CMFRI on Wednesday, it said. The workshop was organised to gather responses to the findings and collect additional inputs from diverse stakeholders both native and migrant to support the research project whose principal investigator is CMFRI Principal Scientist Dr Shyam S Salim, the release said. It also said that the study highlighted sharp differences in expenditure patterns. The study found that while natives spend 20 to 30 per cent of their income on savings and significant portions on education and housing, migrants remit up to 75 per cent of their earnings to their families back home, often living in boats with minimal spending on housing and amenities in Kerala. Furthermore, the incomes of migrant workers were consistently lower than those of the natives and averaged around ₹25,000 per month in harvest centres and dropped to just ₹11,000 in post-harvest jobs. By comparison, the native workforce earned around ₹30,000, according to the study. "Despite their dominance, migrant workers remain highly vulnerable, facing exploitation, health risks and lack of social security. "While native labourers faced major constraints such as insufficient income, indebtedness, off-season unemployment and lack of credit interest, the migrant workers struggled mostly with identity crises, differences with native workers, isolation and discrimination, the study found," the release said. It further said that the 'Labour Mobility Grid' developed through the project outlines the complexities of fisher migration, identifying push factors such as poverty and unemployment in source states, and pull factors like higher wages and demand in Kerala. Fishery Deputy Director Dr Maja Jose, who inaugurated the workshop, is quoted as having said that the government would take steps to address the concerns of migrant workers in the best possible manner. The workshop proposed urgent policy interventions for fisher labour welfare, including better housing, health coverage, education support, and livelihood diversification measures. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.