Be it dwindling catch or alternate safe employment, the number of fishermen in Visakhapatnam the largest marine fish producing district in Andhra Pradesh is declining fast. Several surveys and studies have shown that the younger lot from fishing communities are reluctant to take up the business. Speaking to TOI, Arjili Dasu, executive director of Fisherfolk Foundation, said, In the 90s, there were more than 75,000 fishermen in Visakhapatnam district. The number of fishermen in the district now is just around 48,000. This shows that there has been a 36% decline over the last two decades. Experts claim that younger generations are looking for alternative jobs after their parents retire. The tradition of fishing families is dying out. Many children of these families are pursuing higher education and choosing nine-to-six jobs. Others are working as labourers in real estate and other industries. The average age of active fishermen in Visakhapatnam is 50-55 years. According to experts, one of the prime reasons for this shift in paradigm is declining catch off the shores of Bay of Bengal. Fishermen say that fishing is a tiring profession fraught with risks with low returns. 70-year-old M Bulaya, who has been a fisherman for a long time, said, Now it takes us 7 days to match the catch we used to get in three days in 2004. Moreover, you have to face the danger of cyclones, being lost at sea, territorial problems of neighbouring countries and the chance of developing sea sickness. This is no longer a lucrative profession. We ourselves don’t encourage our children to take up the profession, Bulaya said.