Around 15 fishermen from Chinnathurai village, in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu, gathered near the imposing St. Jude’s church in the village, watching as their friend and colleague Jeevadasan spoke.
In our village, deep sea fishing is the favourite (occupation). Before there was any equipment, compass, GPS anything, even in those times, deep sea fishing has been our favourite, Jeevadasan said. They say that the best fishermen in the world are from this village.
Jeevadasan’s pronouncements invited much laughter and ribbing from his friends, but Chinnathurai and seven other villagesVallavillai, Eraviputhenthurai, Poothurai, Erayumanthurai, Marthandanthurai, Neerodi and Thoothoorcollectively called the Thoothoor mandalam (zone), are known for fishermen that make long oceanic journeys for sura vettai, or shark fishing in Tamil.
The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimated that until 2018, of the 26 shark fishing nations in the world, India ranked second in the volume of sharks caught annually and contributed about 9% to the total catch. In 2019, India was the third-largest shark catching nation in the world. But very few of the four million people in India whose livelihood depends on marine fisheries go looking specifically for sharks, explained Divya Karnad, a marine biologist and assistant professor at Ashoka University.
This is what sets Thoothoor apart. Fishermen in the area have at least six decades of experience in specialised shark fishing and a history of constantly adapting to changing conditions. While scientists caution that shark populations are dwindling and a collapse in the fisheries is imminent, the fishermen of Thoothoor believe their practices and techniques hold lessons for sustainable shark fisheries across India and the world.
The community is urging policymakers to engage with them on ways to ensure shark fishing can continue in a sustainable manner.