Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ON
Sr.
No. Contents Page No.
Background
Executive Summary
1 National Scenario 1
2 Andhra Pradesh 3
2.1 East Godavari 4
2.2 Krishna 4
2.3 Guntur 4
2.3.1 Feed Back from Fishers 4
2.3.2 Feed back from others 4
2.3.3 Feed back from officials 5
2.3.4 Institutional Finance 5
2.4 Prakasam 5
2.5 Nellore 6
3.0 Tamil Nadu 6
3.1 Damages 6
3.2 Relief Measures undetrtaken 6
3.3 Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram Dts. 8
3.3.1 Brackishwater Aquaculture 8
3.4 Cuddalore 9
3.4.1 Brackishwater Aquaculture 9
3.4.2 Marine 9
3.5 Pondicherry 9
3.6 Villipuram 10
3.7 Nagapattinam 10
3.8 Karikal 10
3.9 Pudukotai 11
3.10 Ramanathapuram 11
3.11 Tuticorin 11
3.12 Tirunelveli 11
3.13 Kanyakumari 12
4.0 Kerala 12
4.1 Tiruvananthapuram 13
4.2 Kollam 13
4.3 Alleppey 14
4.4 Ernakulam 14
4.5 Calicut 14
4.6 Malapuram 14
4.7 Kannur 14
4.8 Kasargode 15
CONCLUSIONS 16
Tables 1-29 17-33
Annexure 1 34
Questionnaire 35-36
Box 1 37
BACKGROUND
The Tsunami that struck the southern states of India on 26 December, 2004 was perhaps the
single most destructive natural disaster in India which took such a heavy toll of human life that
it shook the very confidence of human race in itself to stand up to nature and survive its
vagaries.
This institute suffered a personal loss in the demise of Mr. M.Vijayakumar, Senior Research
Fellow whose dedication to his work in the institute hatchery on that ill fated Sunday morning
cost him his life and the institute lost a budding scientist. Besides the priceless life, equipment
and infrastructural damage to this institute has been estimated at Rs. 50 lakhs.
But things have to be picked up and life must go on against all odds. The loss has to be
accounted for. Things must be put back in place and work must continue for the sake of the
growth and development of the country.
This institute put together a team of scientists to make a quick assessment of the field level
losses if any pertaining to brackishwater aquaculture in particular and fisheries in general
resulting from the Tsunami. Since the impact on fisheries has a direct and indirect impact on the
brackishwater aquaculture sector, we have highlighted some of the damages in the marine
fisheries also.
The team of scientists led by Dr. M.Krishnan, Principal Scientist with Drs. K. Amba Sankar,
C.P.Balasubramanian, V.S.Chandrasekaran, C.Gopal, K.P.Jithendran, M.Kumaran,
M.Muralidhar T.Ravisankar, C.Sarada, R.Saraswathy, B.Shanthi, J. Shyama Dayal and
D.D.Vimala have taken considerable pains in visiting the affected districts in the early post
Tsunami days and making an on-site assessment / statement of losses in all the affected
districts in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Shri M.S.Kumar, T-5, Shri
M.Ravi, T-4 and Shri S. Rajukumar, T-4 have assisted in the documentation of this report.
The estimates given are mostly drawn from secondary official sources. Wherever possible,
some inferences have been made to give support to official statistics. Your comments and
views on the report are looked forward to.
ASSESSMENT OF LOSS DUE TO TSUNAMI TO BRACKISHWATER AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES
SECTORS IN COASTAL STATES OF ANDHRA PRADESH, TAMIL NADU AND KERALA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Tsunami of 26 December, 2004 which wrought very serious damage on the lives and
property of the people living by the shore in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Kerala has both short and long term ramifications.
This report basically confines itself to estimation of losses in the brackishwater aquaculture
sector to a large extent, also covering losses in marine sector wherever information could be
elicited. The affected districts in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were
surveyed by a team of scientists
According to Reserve Bank of India, while the deadly tsunami would only have a limited
economic impact, it would put some upward pressure on the fiscal deficit. The government is
already fighting to keep its deficit below a target 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product, and
its finances could be further stretched after paying for relief and reconstruction in Indian
regions hit by the disaster. On the fiscal deficit, there will be some impact. On expenditure
there will be some impact. On the revenue side, there is not expected to be any impact. RBI
was preparing a final assessment of the economic damage caused by the devastating tsunami,
and this would be released in a few days
As has been observed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the impact of the Tsunami
has long term implications on the fishing and seafood export industry (See Box 1). The time
taken for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the facilities by and for the small and marginal
farmers in shrimp aquaculture will determine the extent of loss minimization for the sector as a
whole. 90 percent of Indian shrimp farmers are in the marginal and small farmer category.
Among the ways they can be helped are
1. Soft loans at low rates of interest to enable them to get back to their regular farming
operations
2. Fast and efficient reconstruction of support infrastructure like roads, electricity,
telecommunications and the like
3. Establishment of regular information exchange system for confidence building and
faster development
4. Efficient coordination between the various governmental and non governmental
machineries for quick and efficient come back to full scale farming and fishing
operations.
ASSESSMENT OF LOSS DUE TO TSUNAMI TO BRACKISHWATER AQUACULTURE AND FISHERIES
SECTORS IN COASTAL STATES OF ANDHRA PRADESH, TAMIL NADU AND KERALA
The Tsunami of 26 December, 2004 which wrought very serious damage on the lives and
property of the people living by the shore in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and
Kerala has both short and long term ramifications.
In the short run at the micro level, it has immediate adverse impact on food, clothing and
shelter compounded by related impacts like loss of livelihoods, community and family
moorings, displacements and relocations. At macro-regional level, the impact varies from fall
in supply and demand of fish, fishery and related primary products and consequent fall in
purchasing power and general fall in economic activity.
In the longer run, the impacts could have implications for the seafood industry, revenue from
this sector, employment and income of the people making a living off this sector. These
impacts have to be mitigated by both reconstruction of the physical infrastructure, social
rehabilitation and research and development for natural disaster management support at the
field level.
This report basically confines itself to estimation of losses in the brackishwater aquaculture
sector to a large extent, also covering losses in marine sector wherever information could be
elicited. The affected districts in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala were
surveyed by a team of scientists (Annexure 1).
1. National Scenario
Loss of crafts and gear in the marine fishing sector has an indirect impact on the brackishwater
aquaculture sector. The pressure on the sector will mount to satisfy the demands of the seafood
industry. Given that brackishwater aquaculture is basically shrimp aquaculture, the non-
availability of raw material to the shrimp processing plants, and the absence of landings in the
landing centers to the ice plants has serious implications whose computations need more serious
thought. Conclusions towards the end of this exercise may suggest that shrimp farming sector
may not have lost and the damages to the shrimp hatcheries can be made up by quick
reconstruction of the damaged infrastructure. But there are some leading conclusions that could
be drawn which could provide some strategies for long term development of the sector.
Therefore a simultaneous look has been given at the marine fisheries also.
The government estimated financial losses in mainland states from the tsunami disaster at
$1.1billion. According to official statement the preliminary losses in four affected states
totalled Rs 53,220 crore1 or $1.1 billion. In the worst-affected Tamil Nadu state, the price tag
came to over Rs 27,300 crore or $581 million. The number of people dead and missing in
India after last month's tsunami disaster crossed 16,380 as an extra 345 were confirmed
dead in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago now
accounted for 1,837 of the confirmed dead from 10,672 for the whole of India. The number
of missing in the Andamans rose by 83 to 5,625, with another 86 people missing on the
mainland.
The tsunami tidal waves have caused losses of over Rs 20 billion ($456 million) in India,
according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Three ships costing around
1
1 Crore = 10 Million
Rs.1.5 billion have been damaged in Chennai Port and the major part of Port Blair has been
severely damaged (Assocham).(Dec. 27, 2004)2.
According to Reserve Bank of India, while the deadly tsunami would only have a limited
economic impact, it would put some upward pressure on the fiscal deficit. The government is
already fighting to keep its deficit below a target 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product, and
its finances could be further stretched after paying for relief and reconstruction in Indian
regions hit by the disaster. On the fiscal deficit, there will be some impact. On expenditure
there will be some impact. On the revenue side, there is not expected to be any impact. RBI
was preparing a final assessment of the economic damage caused by the devastating tsunami,
and this would be released in a few days3.
http://www.tn.gov.in/tsunami/tsunami.htm
2 http://autofeed.msn.co.in/pandorav3/output/Business/4d7b63be-c622-4be1-9b31-c931fc1ab8a2.aspx
3 www.rbi.org.in
2. Andhra Pradesh4
According to official sources, 40,000 fishermen houses, 6000 boats, 47,000 fishing nets were
lost to the Tsunami. THE Andhra Pradesh Government was seeking Rs.314 crore assistance
from the Centre for providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims that claimed the lives of
104 people in the State.
An amount of Rs 160 crore was sought for building houses for fishermen who lost their
dwellings in the disaster. Besides, the State would require Rs 47 crore for replacing the fishing
nets lost in the sea, Rs 8.5 crore for repairing the boats damaged and Rs 8 crore for giving
2,000 new fishing boats to fishermen who had lost their means of livelihood in the
unprecedented tidal waves. Rs 50 crore was required for execution of protected water supply
scheme and Rs 42 crore needed for repair and relaying of roads in the affected villages. The
Government would also ask the Center to sanction Rs 5.2 crore towards miscellaneous
expenditure and release 19,500 tonnes of rice to provide succour to the people. (As on 7
January, 2004). Details of calamity in the brackishwater aquaculture sector are being
compiled.
4 Hyderabad, East Godavari and Krishna Districts: Dr. C.Gopal and M.Muralidhar, Senior Scientists.
2.1 East Godavari
No direct destruction of shrimp ponds and facilities have been reported from East Godavari
district. Seawater intake system were reported to have been damaged in some hatchery units.
There are 25 hatcheries of various capacities In Konapapera village. The estimated structural
loss is around Rs. 10,000. The color of the water was reported to have turned muddy in the
post Tsunami scenario. Salinity of the pond water also has declined and availability of
brooders has come down.
Some details on losses sustained by the marine fisheries sector are available in the tables.
2.2 Krishna
Though Krishna district has maximum area under shrimp farming, there are no official reports
of loss in the sector. At present according to the office of the Deputy Director of Fisheries,
Krishna District, 14,766.67 ha are being farmed. There are 3 hatcheries which have also not
reported any damages. 30, ice factories, 14 feed mills, 3 processing plants of which 1 is
HACCP approved are doing business despite the Tsunami.
2.3 Guntur5
It was observed that Department of Fisheries, Velugu project officials, bank personal, fisheries
cooperative societies, NGO’s and Voluntary organizations are actively participating and
extending the relief measures.
An ordinary boat costs Rs. 1 Lakh and provides employment for four persons. Damage of nets
may range from Rs.5,000 to 1,00,000. The fishers are approaching the Fisheries department,
Velugu project officials , local political leaders for relief . Even though temporary relief
measure were met like food and clothing, permanent measures has to be initiated to rebuilt
their houses and restart fishing. They opined that providing loans from banks will not help
them to tackle the situation and a one time grant may useful to recoup them selves.
As the ponds were not stocked no monetary loss was observed due to Tsunami even though
ponds were flooded. It was reported that in some ponds displacement and damage of
pipeline was observed and required only minor repairs. It was informed that there is slight
increase in salinity from 26 ppt to 28 ppt of the seawater. It was also observed that sea
water came upto the compund walls of some hatcheries which were near to sea.
5 Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore: Dr. J.Shyama Dayal, Scientist ( S.S.) and Dr. C. Sarada, Scientist
2.3.3 Feed back from Officials
The Department of Fisheries is actively involved in the estimation of loss due to tsunami. The
report has been sent to Commissioner of Fisheries. Banks like National Bank for Agricultural
and Rural Development (NABARD) were also actively involved in collecting the information on
individual basis so that they can extend their help in the form of loans and help them in
getting the subsidies for purchasing the boats and fishing accessories. Other NGO’s and
Voluntary organizations were also extending help in form of rice, clothes and health checkups.
A special credit plan worth Rs 1.25 crore has been approved by the State Level Bankers
Committee (SLBC) to help people in Guntur district affected by the tsunami.
The loans will be provided towards housing and purchase of fishing nets and boats. This was
among the decisions taken by the banker's committee led by Mr A.L. Nageswara Rao,
General Manger, Andhra Bank, who visited the affected areas in Guntur and Krishna district.
They held discussions with the special district consultative committee. All the lead banks in the
coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh are convening district consultative committee meetings and
working out a special action plan to provide financial aid to the affected before January 10,
according to a press release from SLBC.
All affected districts will prepare special credit plans for fishermen and extend loans of Rs
3,000 per family as approved by the Reserve Bank of India. They will also provide training
free of cost to the kith and kin of the deceased for taking up self-employment activities. The
SLBC team interacted with the affected people in Kanuru Vari Pallipalem near Machilipatnam
in Krishna district.
2.4 Prakasam
It was informed that there was a minor damage to compound walls of M/s. Devi Seafood
hatcheries.
As far as marine fisheries are concerned, Prakasam district is bestowed with 104 km coast line
comprising of 10 mandals. A total of 72 villages were damaged and 5469 fishermen were
affected by Tsunami. It was estimated 789 craft, 8998 tackle were lost. An over all
estimated loss was Rs. 7,40,95,664.
2.5 Nellore
95 villages in 10 coastal mandals were affected by the Tsunami. 201 craft worth 22.29 lakhs
and 3603 crafts costing 215.04 lakhs. 75 OBM worth Rs. 9.29 lakhs and 1571 OBMs worth
Rs. 65.52 lakhs were damaged. Total tackle loss was worth 368.37 lakhs and 2465 damaged
tackles costing 284.50 lakhs . Overall loss to marine fisheries was estimated as 965.07 lakhs
The earthquake was also widely felt along the east coast of India. In Tamil Nadu, people felt
distinct tremors in many parts of Chennai. The quake was also felt along the Coromandel
coast. The devastating tidal waves that lashed several coastal districts of Tamil Nadu
(Chennai, Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur,
Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari) on Sunday around 9.00 am
have left at least 7975 dead and rendered many people homeless6.
3.1 Damages
The following package has been announced by the Tamil Nadu Government for the fisherfolk
• Replacement of gill nets for Vallams at Rs.20,000 per unit for 10000 units at a total
cost of Rs.20 crores.
• Replacement of gill nets for catamaran at Rs.10,000 per unit for 20000
units at a total cost of Rs.20 crores.
• Repair/ rebuilding of Vallams at Rs.15,000 per unit for 10000 boats at a
total cost of Rs.15 crores.
• Repair/ rebuilding of catamarans at Rs.5000 per unit for 20000
catamarans at a total cost of Rs.10 crores.
6
http://www.tn.gov.in/tsunami/tsunami.htm
Brackishwater Aquaculture Scenario in Tamil Nadu
Since the basic objective of this survey in India was to study the damages and losses to the
brackishwater aquaculture sector, it can be confidently stated that this sector has only
suffered minimal damages and loss due to the Tsunami in the overall context of the damage
to the fisheries sector.
Moreover being the off season, hatcheries which have reportedly suffered some damages
were in the seasonal closed phase and the farms in the state had also not started their
stocking operations which normally start late January or early February. Therefore the losses
to the sector in the state of Tamil Nadu could be stated as minimal in this round of survey.
3.3 Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts7
The following are the details of shrimp farming activity in the Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur
districts of Tamil Nadu as reported by the office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries
32 shrimp hatcheries from Neelankarai to Marakkanam were surveyed. This survey revealed
that there was considerable damage to hatcheries in these regions. In majority of the
hatcheries the following damages had occurred either partially or completely.
Hatcheries situated on the sea shore or nearer to sea shore were worst affected and those
which are at some distance from the shore did not suffer any damage. The average estimated
loss to hatcheries which are nearer to sea shore has been estimated to be around Rs.5 to 9
lakhs. The worst affected hatcheries are M/s. K.R Hatchery, Kanathur; M/s. BMR Classwin
Hatchery, Muttukadu and M/s. Millenium hatchery, Kovalam. It was a blessing in disguise that
most of the hatcheries were in shut down period and hence there was no loss of human life in
these hatcheries. It was reported that by these hatcheries that they had lost their animals (Post
larvae and Brood stock) completely.
It was observed that in hatcheries near sea shore, sea water had entered the buildings and
some equipment were damaged or lost. It was also observed that the major problem
confronting most of the hatcheries was that the freshwater had reportedly become saline and
all were worried about the alleged contamination resulting from the Tsunami to the seed
production process. It is understood that the College of Fisheries, Tuticorin has already
initiated steps to study the fish and sediments for microbiological analysis to identify the
presence of pathogenic bacteria in sea water 8.
The current strategy for commencement of production in these hatcheries is to delay the
production operation for 20 to 30 days to enable them to repair the damage and minimize
the contamination. It was the observation of the CIBA team that all the hatcheries operators
are cautious about the future of the shrimp hatcheries viz., availability of good brood stock,
contamination by the Tsunami and the farmers perception to start aquaculture in Tsunami hit
areas. It may be noted that this institute has already initiated steps for detection of possible
disease causative agents in brackishwater aquaculture in the post Tsunami phase.
The shrimp aquaculture ponds were not much affected by Tsunami in these districts because the
aquaculture farms are backwater based and not sea water based for its water source.
However, the water depth in the back water has reduced due to deposition of silt brought by
Tsunami. No damages to other commercial facilities like ice plants, processing plants and feed
mills were reported in these districts.
7
Dr. K. Ambasankar, Scientist (SS) and Dr. R. Saraswathy, Scientist
8
The Hindu Business Line, Fisheries college scientists to study impact of tsunami Monday, Jan 10, 2005.
However, M/s. Markyu processing plant situated in Injambakkam, Chennai district was
damaged by the Tsunami and has suffered an estimated annual turn over loss was Rs. 85
lakhs.
3.4. Cuddalore9
Cuddalore district has about 150 numbers of shrimp farms with a water-spread area of 470
ha. Area under culture during Tsunami was 50 ha and an extent of about 10 ha was affected
by Tsunami. Shrimp farms located in Kundu Uppalavadi village which is in the outskirts
Cuddalore town and TVS Pettai near Chidambaram were adversely affected. In the first
place it was reported that 4 ha of ponds prepared for stocking was totally washed away.
The bunds were damaged. The reported loss was around Rs. 2 lakhs. The nearby farm where
culture was on was also affected. Farm equipment like aerators etc. worth around Rs. 50,000
were washed away. . In TVS Pettai about 2 ha of shrimp farms were damaged by run off
water breaching pond bunds. The district does not have any hatcheries, ice plants, feed mills,
processing plants etc. But since most of the shrimp farms were not in operation the loss due to
shrimp culture was negligible.
3.4.2 Marine
The marine sector has suffered considerable damage in the district. The fishery resources and
an approximate loss estimated by official sources are given below.
The total loss including the houses lost has been estimated to be approximately Rs.100 crores
and the death toll was 612 lives in the district.
As far as shrimp aquaculture is concerned, since this region has very few farms which were
creek based, they remained unaffected. The loss to the private shrimp farms was restricted to
iceboxes, hauling yard implements and the like.
In Pondicherry has a 28 Km coast in length with the Bay of Bengal which ahs a population of
41,120 pf which there are 15 fishermen coastal villages comprising about 9,900 families. A
total of 107 people were victims of the Tsunami in this region. The huts, semi pucca houses and
pucca houses which were occupied by the fishermen community were devastated by the
seismic waves which raced in shore from half km to 2 km distance depending on the slope and
other geographical position with reference to the sea level. 4,686 number of boats including
mechanized boats, fiber glass reinforced plastic boats, FRB catamaran and wooden
catamaran with out board engine and catamaran without on board motor were damaged
Apart from the above, the Fishing Harbour which is situated in Pondicherry region
(Thengaithittu village) was also damaged by the seismic waves which has taken away the
berthed mechanized boats and FRB Boats to a distance ranging from ½ Km to 2 Km from the
fishing quay. Therefore retrieval of these boats has become very much cumbersome as the
extent of damage caused is also very heavy. The total damage to the fishing harbour has
9
Cuddalore, Villipuram districts and Pondicherry: Dr. M.Kumaran, Scientist (SS)
been estimated to be around Rs.25 lakhs. Similarly, seven fish landing centres, which are
available in the coastal villages in Pondicherry region were adversely affected due to
damage caused to the civil structures like auction hall, net mending shed, drying platform etc.
worth Rs.35 Lakhs. Again damages pertaining to the catamarans moored in the river course,
etc., has been estimated to be Rs.23.25 Lakhs. Thus the overall damage estimated was
Rs.55.40 crores approximately.
Marakkanam block of Villupuram district was the coastal belt affected by Tsunamis. About 47
lives were claimed by killer waves in this district. About 44 shrimp farms with a water-spread
area of 140 ha were operating in this district. Since the shrimp farms are located on the
higher grounds, none of them were adversely affected due to Tsunami. About 6 shrimp
hatcheries out of 15 operating in this district were damaged. Among the hatcheries affected,
Southern and Best India hatcheries were the worst hit. Bore wells and compound walls were
damaged in many hatcheries. Since majority of the hatcheries were in the off-season period
the effect was only on physical structures not on animals. Construction of a strong compound
wall could be a viable strategy to protect the hatcheries in future. According to rough
estimates, the approximate physical structural loss may be Rs. 1.5 crores @ Rs.15 lakhs per
hatchery of the 10 affected hatcheries and an operational cost loss of Rs.4.5 crores. Hence a
total of Rs. 6 crores have been lost due to the seismic waves.
3.7 Nagapattinam10
According to initial estimates, shrimp farming in Nagapattinam district has suffered a loss of
Rs. 6 crores in damages to the water intake systems in 300 ha. Currently there are 996 farms
in an area of 2384 ha. This district had the maximum area under shrimp in the state,
producing 1585 tonnes of shrimp from 925 hectares in 2002. Shrimp aquaculture is making
fast inroads in the district. But it has escaped the wrath of the Tsunami with only marginal
losses.
The primary total loss to fisheries in Nagapattinam is estimated to be Rs. 221.85 crores. It
includes 13 fishing villages in the district. There are 4000 catamarans, 900 valloms, 1200
trawlers among other fishing crafts. The landings are on an average about 7 tonnes a day in
the month of December. Small fishers make about Rs.50-100 per day and the estimated
earnings of mechanized vessels in the month of December is around Rs.10,000 per week. They
make 3 fishing expeditions on an average a week11.
Kariakal is a part of the Union Territory of Pondicherry. The total area suitable for shrimp
aquaculture in Pondicherry, Karaikal and Yanam was 1209 hectares. Private entrepreneurs
practised improved traditional type of shrimp aquaculture. Separate figures of area and
production for Karaikal are not immediately available. Two farms which suffred major losses
during the Tsunami were visited. The Nargis Aqua Farm, Karaikal has a total water spread
area of 4 ha and has suffered a loss of Rs. 2.5 lakhs in terms of water pumping systems and
peripheral infrastructure. The farm expects a turnover loss of over Rs. 45 lakhs in the next two
10
Nagapattinam, Karaikal and Pudukkotai: Drs. V.S.Chandrasekaran and B.Shanthi, Senior Scientist.
11
Personal communication: Thiru Manuneethithozhan, Sub Inspector of Fisheries, Nagai Dt. These figures are
indicative and may not used for extrapolation purposes.
seasons due to the Tsunami. The Tranquebar farm of 16.4 ha had suffered flooding in 1.8 ha
and the estimated loss was around Rs. 3 lakhs. But the farmers are firm in their resolution to
continue shrimp farming after reconstruction.
3.9 Pudukottai
The Pudukottai district has less than 100 ha under shrimp aquaculture and has not suffered
any losses. The O/o. of the Assistant Director ( Marine) at manamelkudy reported 33
catamarams missing.
3.10 Ramanathapuram12
3.11 Tuticorin
The total area of shrimp farm in Tutucurin district is 57.50 ha and water spread area is 50 ha.
Only 16 ha were under culture during Tsunami and the farms were located in and around
Pattinamaruthur. Presently functioning aqua farms are M/s. Marine Swimmers, M/s. Golden
Aqua Farm, M/s. Sona Aqua Farm and M/s. Pattinamaruthur Aqua Farm . There is only one
hatchery located at Kallamozhey, Tiruchendur. This hatchery reported that the water intake
pipelines were damaged and the loss was assessed at Rs 10,000/- only. There were no loss
reported in the ice plants ( M/s. Mandadiar ,Sipcot and Edinda ice plants, Therespuram).
Processing units faced heavy loss in their turn over. They fully depend on the marine catch.
M/s. Nila Sea Foods reported a loss of 9 crores due to no fishing activities (7.1.05).
3.12 Tirunelveli
Tirunelveli district does not have a very active aquaculture sector. Two fishermen were killed
and two were missing in the Tsunami in the district. There are seven fishing villages namely
Guttapanai, Vuvari, Kuthankuli, Edithinthakarai, Perunmanal, Gooduthalai and Kuttapuli. The
fishermen population is 20,210. The active fishermen were 4580. The estimation of total loss
reported is Rs 18,83,05,500. Some of the houses were damaged. The fishermen lost their
gears. The gears used by them are chala valai, vaval valai, thanguz valai, pacchu valai,
yeitchavalai, ayala valai, gill net and cast net .
12
Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts: Dr. D.D.Vimala, Scientist ( Selection Grade)
3.13 Kanyakumari13
The Kanyakumari district has negligible shrimp farming activity. The Government shrimp farm
at Manakkudy was severely damaged. It was a practically defunct farm before the Tsunami.
Some shrimp farming related establishments at Rajakkamangalam were badly affected. A
crab fattening farm in Colachel remained unaffected.
The marine sector has suffered substantial losses. Some of the significant losses are
• The boat making yard, Manavazhakurichi was completely damaged. The loss has been
estimated to be Rs. 10 lakhs
• Chinnamuttam fishing harbor and boats were damaged. The lsoss has been estimated
to be about Rs. 25 lakhs.
• The Mannkkudy – Keelamanakkudy bridge coonecting the two fishing villages
adjacent to the Manakkudy estuary was completely damaged.
• An amount of Rs. 80 crores has been sanctioned to the Assistant Director of Fisheries of
this district for relief and rehabilitation of the fishers.
4.0 Kerala
Kerala, traditionally dependent on fisheries as major avocation for many a people had
suffered mild to moderate damages on fisheries sector and its infrastructure. The worst hit
areas are Alappad, Aratupuzha and Edavanakad areas. State Government of Kerala has
sent a memorandum to Central Government seeking Rs. 757 Crore assistance (as on 4-1-
2005).
In the districts surveyed the aquaculture sector’s losses were mainly the following:
A. Hatchery
B. Farms
13
Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram districts: Dr. S. Kannappan, Scientist (SS)
4.1 Tiruvananthapuram
The Tiruvananthapuram district in Kerala does not have any shrimp farming activity. M/s.
Amalgam hatchery at Pozhiyoor (Vizhinjam) is safe.
As far as the marine sector is concerned
• Kovalam beach and adjacent areas were not affected except for damages to fishing
craft and gear.
• Catamarans in Vizhinjam harbor area suffered damages.
4.2 Kollam14
Brackishwater farms were not adversely affected by the Tsunami in Kollam district. The
Matysafed hatchery in Thirumullaravaram was damaged. Its seawater intake system including
the pump house and motor were damaged. 20 lakh larvae were killed in PL 15 stage and 50
lakh larvae at different stages due to aeration failure. The loss to this state government
hatchery has been estimated at Rs. 25 lakhs. Similarly seawater systems were damaged in
M/s. Pavitra hatchery (Rs. 4.00 lakhs loss), M/s. John Bosco hatchery at Thirumullaravaram (
0.60 lakhs loss) and M/s. Shore Line Hatchery at Karunagapally ( Rs. 2.0 lakhs).
14
Kollam, Alleppey and Ernakulam districts: Dr. T.Ravisankar, Senior Scientist.
4.3 Alleppey
Shrimp farms in the district have not reported any loss. Though claims are coming in the state,
officials are examining the cases one by one. M/s. Maveli Hatchery, Thirukunnapuzha suffered
complete damage to structure and facility. The loss has been estimated at Rs.40.00 lakhs.
M/s. Aquatech Hatchery, Pallithodu and M/s. West Coast Hatchery, Andhakaranazhy also
suffered infrastructural losses of Rs. 3.00 lakhs and Rs. 4.00 lakhs respectively.
4.4 Ernakulam
24 shrimp farms (85,77 ha) were damaged in the Tsunami in this district as reported by the
O/o. Deputy Director of Fisheries. 6 farms (10 ha) in Puthenvelikkara, 16 farms (64 ha) in
Mulavukad, 1 farm (0.28 ha) in Kumbalam and an area of 10.93 ha were severely damaged
in the Tsunami. The total loss has been evaluated at Rs. 87.30 lakhs.
4 hatcheries have ben damaged by the Tsunami. M/s. Hatech Biosystems, Kannamally
suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 0.20 lakhs, in terms of siltation in and damages to seawater
intake systems. M/s. Abad Hatchery suffred a loss of Rs. 3.0 lakhs, M/s. Kaliparambil
hatchery ( Rs. Neg.), Aqua Plaza Hatchery, Vypeen (Rs. 2.00 lakhs), M/s. ANS Hatchery,
Vypeen (Rs. 20.00 lakhs), M/s. Sea Horse Hatchery, Edavanakad (Rs. 4.00 lakhs). Damages
including structural, electrical and live material.
4.5 Calicut15:
Calicut district was not affected much by Tsunami. The two major harbors of the district,
Puthiappa and Beypore were affected. A total of Rs67. 5 lakhs is estimated to be lost due to
Tsunami. Shrimp farms are remained unaffected..
4.6 Malappuram
Malappuram district is the least affected district of the Malabar Coast. One of the hatcheries
owned by Matsyafed was unaffected. Shrimp farms of this district were also not affected. The
total estimated loss is estimated to be Rs 25 lakhs in the marine fisheries sector.
4.7 Kannur
One of the two hatcheries of Malabar Coast, Matsyafed hatchery, Mappila Bay, Kannur 17,
was severely damaged due to the giant seismic waves. Waves hit around midnight of
December 26, 04. The Matsyafed hatchery with a capacity of 30 million post larvae was
started in 1989 and it has been the major seed source catering the brackish water shrimp-
farming sector of the northern Kerala. The building complex, equipment and live materials
were all damaged at this hatchery. The total loss of this hatchery is estimated to be Rs 60
lakhs. The split up loss is given in the following Table
15
Calicut, Mallapuram, Kannur and Kasargode: Drs. K.P.Jithendran and C.P.Balasubramainam, Senior Scientists
Damages due to Tsunami on shrimp grow out system was not as high as shrimp hatcheries. This
is mainly because most of the shrimp farms are creek based rather than sea based. However,
corresponding with the rise of water level in the sea, creak/ river water has also been raised.
This sudden and unexpected rise in creek water has inundated many shrimp farms of the
district. The district has 731 ha of shrimp culture area with 300 shrimp farms. During this
period most of the farm were under off season break. However, many of the non operating
farms were also obliterated due to the sudden inundation of water from the creek A total of 6
adversely affected farms were visited and information were collected. The average loss per
ha was estimated to be Rs1. 3 lakhs per ha and average loss for shrimp grow out system of
Kannur alone is estimated to be 91 lakhs. One fish processing unit in Kannur district was
entirely damaged since the fish oil of the plant mixed with the creek water. This polluted
water entered the neighboring farms and allegedly caused the major damage to the shrimp
reared in the ponds.
The farming of mussel, Perna virdis, is one of the minor aquaculture activities of the district. The
mussel farming is not popularized in this district as the neighbouring Kasorgode district. Few
farmers engaged in the bottom culture of mussel lost their crop. The loss is estimated to be Rs
1lakh.
The total loss in fisheries sector of the district Kannur is Rs 4.71 crore
4.8 Kasargode
The shrimp-farming sector of the district remained unaffected whereas mussel-farming sector
was severely damaged. A total of 500 units have been engaged in rope culture of mussel in
this district. Around 100 units lost their produce and equipment during Tsunami. In capture
fisheries sector a loss of Rs 1 crore has been estimated
Conclusions
Shrimp farms are mostly creek based due to that the farms could escape from the effect of
Tsunami. However, the farms adjacent to sea side were affected badly due to the killer
waves. The worst hit was marine side and fishermen villages. Adequate measures need to be
taken on war footing to rehabilitate the marine fisheries and fishermen. The governments,
Public, NGOs etc., are doing their mite for the above. The following safety measures as found
elsewhere may be established to minimize such effects in future.
1.Tsunami has great erosion potential, stripping beaches of sand that may have taken years to
accumulate and undermining trees and other coastal vegetation. Capable of inundating, or
flooding, hundreds of meters inland past the typical high-water level, the fast-moving water
associated with the inundating tsunami can crush homes and other coastal structures. Tsunamis
may reach a maximum vertical height onshore above sea level, often called a run-up height,
of 10, 20, and even 30 meters. Hence planting of live and artificial fences like mangroves,
Casurina, stone walls (as in Pondicherry which saved Pondicherry), Sand dunes etc, may be
planned to minimize the effect.
2. Establishment of Tsunami Warning System and Tsunami Warning Centres: It has the functions
of monitoring seismological and tidal stations throughout the coast to evaluate potentially
tsunamigenic earthquakes and disseminating tsunami warning information. The warning
includes predicted tsunami arrival times at selected coastal communities within the geographic
area defined by the maximum distance the tsunami could travel in a few hours. A tsunami
watch with additional predicted tsunami arrival times is issued for a geographic area defined
by the distance the tsunami could travel in a subsequent time period. Tsunami watch, warning,
and information bulletins are disseminated to appropriate emergency officials and the
general public through Mass Media and other communication methods.
As has been observed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the impact of the Tsunami
has long term implications on the fishing and seafood export industry (See Box 1). The time
taken for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the facilities by and for the small and marginal
farmers in shrimp aquaculture will determine the extent of loss minimization for the sector as a
whole. 90 percent of Indian shrimp farmers are in the marginal and small farmer category.
Among the ways they can be helped are
5. Soft loans at low rates of interest to enable them to get back to their regular farming
operations
6. Fast and efficient reconstruction of support infrastructure like roads, electricity,
telecommunications and the like
7. Establishment of regular information exchange system for confidence building and
faster development
8. Efficient coordination between the various governmental and non governmental
machineries for quick and efficient come back to full scale farming and fishing
operations.
Table 1: Impact of Tsunami in East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
1. General Damage
Mandals affected - 13
Number of coastal villages affected – 99
S.No. Parameter Number Immediate Relief measures taken up and
expenditure incurred
Per unit Total
1 Deaths 4 Rs. 1 lakh for adult & Rs. 4 lakhs
0.5 lakh for children
Rs. 2000/- per each case 0.46 lakhs
towards funeral charges
2 Houses - Fully lost 519 Rs. 1500/- per case 0.28 lakhs
Partly damaged 38 Rs. 750/- per case 0.015 lakhs
2. Agriculture damage
1 Paddy nurseries 223 ha
2 Vegetable crops 5 ha
3. Aquaculture damage
1 Aquaculture ponds - Damage is nil.
2 Hatcheries – damage is negligible. In Konapapeta village 20 to 25 hatcheries are existing and the
damage as a whole will be around Rs. 10000/- (Out side pipeline).
Discussion with hatchery owners :
1. Water is muddish in colour and it can be controlled by the treatment.
2. Water salinity has come down from 30 to 26.
3. Brood stock availability has come down and the brood stock is having fungal infection.
3 Fish tanks damaged 97 ha
Government 1
Table 5: Impact of Tsunami in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
1. General damage
Mandals affected - 4
Number of coastal villages affected – 48
Severely affected - 24
S.No Parameter Number Immediate Relief measures taken up and
expenditure incurred
Per unit Total
1 Deaths 35 (Resident Rs. 1 lakh for adult & 19.5 lakhs
–23 ; Non Rs. 0.5 lakh for
resident - children
12) Rs. 2000/- per each 0.46 lakhs
case towards funeral
charges
2 Houses damaged - Fully 19 Rs. 1500/- per case 0.28 lakhs
Partly 2 Rs. 750/- per case 0.015 lakhs
Inundated 408 Rs. 750/- per case 3.06 lakhs
3 No. of families evacuated 18000 25 kg rice per family 45 lakhs
4 Relief camps organized 3
5 No. of persons evacuated and kept in 3500 Rs. 30/- per person 4.2 lakhs
relief camps for 4 days
6 Transported vehicles, busses and boats 74 units 4.65 lakhs
engaged for evacuating
2. Aquaculture damage
1 Aquaculture ponds - Damage is nil
2 Hatcheries – Damage is nil.
Haccp approved 1
5.
Laboratories 5
PCR lab 1
6. Cyclone warning centres 1
Table 8: Information Source: Guntur and Krishna Districts, AP
S.No. Name Designation
1 Sh.M.Balaram Deputy Director In Charge, Dept. of
Fisheries, Krishna District
2 Sh. Basheer Ahmed Assistant Director, Dept. of Fisheries,
Masula, Krishna District
3 Sh.T.Rammohan Rao President, Krishna District A farmers
Protection Committee
4 Sh.Andranju Panduranga Rao President, Tallapalem Fishermen
Cooperative Society
5 Sh.K.Venkatanarayana President, Satravapalem Fishermen
Cooperative Society
6 Sh.V. Venkateswara Rao Hatchery Owner, Urlagonditippa,
Krishna District
7 Sh.RethinRaj Deputy Director, MPEDA, Vijayawada
8 Sh.Wilson Assistant Director (Engineering),
MPEDA, Vijayawada
9 Sh.Srinivasulu Junior Technical Officer (Krishna
District) MPEDA, Vijayawada
10 Sh.Ramanujaneyulu Junior Technical Officer (Prakasam
District) MPEDA, Vijayawada
Table 9: Impact of Tsunami in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh
Sl.No Mandal No.Of Total Value in Total Value in Rs. Tackle Loss Value in Rs. No. Grand Total
Villeges Craft Rs. Craft lakhs /damagedin Lakhs of.units in Rs. Lakhs
Loss Lakhs Damage Nos
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
1 Nizampatnam 15 --- --- 23 2.3 662 69.80 685 72.10
Mandal
2 L..V.Dibba 3 4 1.2 2 0.20 337 33.70 343 35.10
3 Bapatla 7 ---- --- 23 2.30 59 6.75 82 9.05
Mandal
4 Total 4 1.2 48 4.80 1058 110.25 1110 116.25
Table 10: Impact of Tsunami in Prakasam Dt., AP
Sl. Mandal No.Of No.Of Total Value in Taotal Value in Rs. Tackle Tackle Value in Rs. Tackle Tackle Value in Grand Total in
No Villeges Effected Craft Rs. Craft Loss in loss in Damage Damage Rs. Rs.
Fisherman Loss Damage Nos Kgs. in Nos in Kgs.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
1 Chirala 2 438 50 6,72,500 --- --- 368 23162 59,95,700 --- -- -- 66,88,200
2 Vetapalam 8 484 --- -- 146 34,08,500 116 21354 24,82,340 320 14904 28,20,700 87,11,540
3 Chinaganjam 15 800 273 33,25,500 286 14,78,900 814 16427 61,75,800 3 1023 1,58,000 1,11,38,38,200
4 N.G.Padu 5 157 124 12,20,500 23 1,43,300 1091 4633 13,25,500 16 2617 7,88,600 34,77,900
5 Ongole 2 244 109 17,71,000 8 1,08,000 218 7585 25,61,000 --- -- --- 44,40,400
6 Kothapatnam 14 1299 27 1,36,000 895 81,51,700 2289 23,540 97,21,200 --- --- -- 1,80,08,900
7 Tanguturu 2 154 65 1,62,500 1 16,500 88 453 2,56,500 -- -- -- 4,35,500
8 Singarayakonda 7 542 33 12,65,000 302 39,51,400 2607 20428 30,52,850 -- -- -- 82,69,250
9 Ulavapadu 14 1183 108 6,66,000 815 39,42,150 1113 13838 44,74,300 1100 15585 17,81,724 1,08,64,174
10 Gudluru 3 168 9 75,000 15 1,40,000 264 4015 18,67,000 --- --- --- 20,82,000
Total 72 5469 798 92,94,000 2491 2,13,40,250 8998 135615 3,79,12,190 1439 34129 55,49,024 7,40,95,664
Table 11: Impact of Tsunami in Nellore Dt., AP
Sl.No Mandal No.Of Villages Total Craft Loss/damage Value in Rs. Tackle Loss Value in Rs. Grand Total in
Lakhs /damage Lakhs Rs.
Nos Lakhs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sl.No
Shrimp Aquaculture Scenario in Tamil Nadu
1 Shrimp aquaculture potential = 56000 ha
2 Area developed for Shrimp aquaculture = 4455 ha
3 Area under utilisation = 2900 ha
4 Total no. of shrimp farms in Tamil Nadu = 2778
5 Total no. of shrimp farms in operation = 1846
6 Farms applied for liscence = 1271
7 No. of liscence issued = 297
8 Applications for clearance with Aquaculture Authority = 267
9 Applications for clearance with District Committee = 606
Table 18: Tamil Nadu Brackishwater Resources (DOF, GOTN, 2003)
Kancheepuram
3 Villupuram 8100 2703
Cuddalore
4 Nagapattinam Thiruvarur 31400 6292
Thanjavur
5 Pudukottai 900 247
Ramanathapuram 1385
6 Thoothukudi 400 1565
7 Kanyakumari 300 18
Total 56 000 14 880
Table 24: Places visited and personnel met during the survey Cuddalore, and Villipuram
Dts of TN and Pondicherry
Sl.no Date Places visited Personnel met
1 04.01.2005 1. Office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries Shri.T.Srinivasan, Assistant
(Marine), DOF, GOT, Fisheries Complex, Director of Fisheries
Cuddalore - OT (Marine).
2. Sonangkuppam Fishermen Village 04142 – 238170
3.Thalanguda Fishermen Village
Sri.M.Sivakumar, Sub –
inspector of Fisheries,
2 05.01.2005 Office of the Assistant Director of Fisheries Sri. V.Tamilmani,
(Aquaculture), DOF, GOT, Chidambaram Research Assistant
(Aqua. Extension),
Camp: Cuddalore
3 06.01.2005 1. Collectorate Office, Pondicherry Shri. J. Lokanathan,
Saram, Pondicherry Deputy Collector (North)
2. Kurshikuppam Shri. S. Siva Kumar
3. Kanakachettikulam Deputy Collector (South)
Shri. Kothandaraman +
Fishermen
(Kanakachettikulam)
Shri. K. Kathirvel +
Fishermen (Kurshikuppam)
4. 07.01.2005 1. Balaji Hatcheries Mr. Ravikumar, Sr.
2. Oceanic hatcheries (P) Ltd. Technical manager
3. Best India hatcheries Mr. Senthil kumar,
4. Sona hatcheries Technical manager
All in Marakkanam block, Villupuram district. Mr. K. Selvaraj, Technical
manager
Table 25: Details of damaged crafts and gears due to Tsunami in Ramnad, Tuticorin and
Tirunelveli Dts, TN
Gears & Crafts Ramanathapuram Tutucurin Tirunelveli
Wooden catamaram
without engine
Partially damaged
Fully damaged - 639 620
- 3 452
Wooden catamaram
with engine
Partially damaged
Fully damaged 27 -
- 315
Wooden vallam with
engine
Partially damaged - 15 -
Fully damaged - - -
Wooden vallam
without engine
Table 28: The details of individual shrimp farms visited during the survey In Kozhikode,
Malappuram, Kannur and Kasargode Dts, Kerala
Name and address of the Total Total Area under Area flooded Estimated loss Estimated
farmer farm water culture during in production loss in
area spread during tsunami due to production
(ha) area (ha) tsunami (ha) tsunami (Rs for next
lakhs) two
season
Dinesh, K. 1.2 1.02 1.02 1.02 1.7 1.7
Reliance aqua farms,
Thiruvangad, Thalassery
Kannur,
Phone: 9847166202
Anis, 0.71 0.61 0.61 0.61 3.0 3.0
Parappuram,
Dharmadam, Thalassery
Kannur
Sivanandan, V. V. 1.67 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.5
Madayi, Vengara P. O.
Pazayangadi, Kannur dt
Phone: 919847291934
Murali, K. 0.8 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.75 0.75
Madayi, Vengara P. O.
Pazayangadi, Kannur dt
Ravi 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Madayi, Vengara P. O.
Pazayangadi, Kannur dt
Table 29: Summary of the Estimated losses in the Districts of North Kerala
Kannur
Calicut
Kasargode
1 Brackish water aquaculture Nil
2 Hatchery Nil
3 Mussel culture 20.0
4 Marine fisheries 100.0
Total 120.0
Malappuram
1 Brackish water aquaculture Nil
2 Hatchery Nil
3 Mussel culture 15 lakhs
4 Marine fisheries 10 lakhs
Total 25 lakhs
ANNEXURE 1
E.Godavari /
Andhra Dr. M.Muralidhar, Senior
1. Krishna 4.1.05 7.1.05
Pradesh Scientist
Tiruvalluvar /
Tamil Kancheepuram/ Dr. Amba Sankar Scientist (SS)/
3. 4.1.05 6.1.05
Nadu Chennai Dr. Saraswathy, Scientist
Cuddalore/
Tamil Villipuram/
4. 4.1.05 7.1.05
Nadu Pondicherry Dr. M.Kumaran, Scientist (SS)
Nagapattinam /
Tamil Karaikal /
5. Dr.V.S.Chandrasekaran / 4.1.05 7.1.05
Nadu Pudukkotai
Dr.B.Shanthi Senior Scientists
Ramnad /
Tamil Tuticorin /
6. Dr. D.D.Vimala, Scientist ( Sel. 4.1.05 8.1.05
Nadu Tirunelveli
Gr.)
Note: The teams will collect data in questionnaire designed by TTEIS. Photographs of affected
sites to be taken. Compilation and report writing will be done by TTEIS. Report to be
submitted by 15th January 2005
DIRECTOR
Copies to:
Scientists concerned
SIC – CCD / AAHMS / NBPS/ AEES / TTEIS
Administrative Officer
Asst. Finance and Accts Officer
ASSESSMENT OF LOSS DUE TO TSUNAMI TO FISHERIES AND BRACKISHWATER AQUACULTURE
SECTORS IN COASTAL STATES OF AP, TN AND KERALA
1. Address of
BFDA/Fish Dept/Hatchery/ Boat
Yard/ Farm/Factory/ (Tel. Nos.
/ Fax etc.)
2. Name of the Contacted Farmer/
Officer with Designation
3. BRACKISHWATER AQUACULTURE
3A. SHRIMP FARMS ( Dt. Info.)
No. of farms
Total Area ( ha)
Total water Spread area ( ha)
Area under culture during the
Tsunami
Area flooded due to Tsunami (Ha)
Estimated loss to Tsunami (Rs/ha)
Estimated loss in production in the
next two seasons (Rs./lakhs)
3B. SHRIMP FARMS ( Individual
Farms)
Total water Spread area ( ha)
Area under culture during the
Tsunami
Area flooded due to Tsunami (Ha)
Estimated loss to Tsunami (Rs/ha)
Estimated loss in production in the
next two seasons (Rs./lakhs)
Estimated loss in production for the
next two seasons (Qty)
Details of diversification plans /
alternate strategies if any
Corporate strategies
4 MARINE FISHERIES
4A Marine Fisheries ( Dt. Info)
No. of catamarans/ ______Nos(Catamarans) / ______Nos Valloms / ___ Nos
Valloms/Trawlers/Long liners in Trawlers/ ___ Long Liners / _________ Nos Others Pl. Specify
the Dt _____Nos
Fish Landings / Day/ December
( Tonnes)
Ave value of Fish Landings in
December ( Rs. Lakhs) across last
ten years
Primary TOTAL Loss to fisherfolk
in landings - week following
Tsunami ( Qty in Tonnes / Value
in Rs. Lakhs)
Estimated earnings of to small
fisherfolk ( catamaran and non
mechansed operators)/per
day/December (Rs./Hundreds)
Estimated earnings of
mechanized vessels/ per day/
December (Rs./ Thousands)
Estimated loss to industry from
fall in dt fish landings (Rs.
/Lakhs) in Dec.
Marine Fishing Industry ( Boat
Yards/ Net manufacturers/Gear
manufacturers etc.): Expected
increase in demand for Craft
and gear in the next fin. Yr. (Rs.
Lakhs)
4B. Marine Fisheries ( Individual
Fisherfolk)
Ave Estimated earnings per Rs._______/Day(Small) Rs.______/Day(Mechanised)
day/ December (Rs./ Hundreds)
Loss of income in the last week of Rs. _______/Day(Small) Rs.______/Day(Mechanised)
December to Tsunami
Estimated loss of craft / gear Rs. _______(Small) Rs. _____/(Mech.)
(Rs. Lakhs)
Support offered by the DoF
Exploration of alternate
livelihood strategies
C.J. Punnathara
SEAFOOD exports from India may decline by as much as 30 per cent, the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said in an assessment report on the impact of tsunami in
South-East Asian region. Fishermen living along the 1,000-km of Indian coastline were the
worst hit by tsunami. About 2,000 fishing boats, 48,000 fishing gear have been lost and
3,00,000 fishermen have lost their jobs. In Tamil Nadu, 591 fishing villages and 30 islands of
Andaman and Nicobar islands have been badly affected by the tsunami, the report said.
However, the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) was more cautious and
its Chairman, Mr G. Mohan Kumar, said: "We are still assessing the damages an it is still to
early to comment on this report." But the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) was
more forthcoming. "After attending the initial massive relief and rehabilitation measures in the
affected areas, the assessment reveals considerable humanitarian, social and economic
damage. Specifically with reference to the fishing industry and aquaculture sector, the
devastation is extensive and far surpassing the initial estimates."
The FAO report said that in India, fishery and aquaculture are considered very
important facets of the economy and have been seriously damaged. Though localised
agricultural crop losses have been reported, they are not likely to have an impact at the
national level. Tourism prospects will also not be seriously affected. Fishery and aquaculture of
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Somalia will be
seriously affected, the report noted. The tsunami impact on aquaculture farms is equally
devastating, the SEAI said. A large number of aqua farms near the coastline were inundated
leaving a trail of destruction of the properties, particularly the critical Eastern embankments
and seawater pumping stations. Most Indian aqua farms are small farmer-owned operations.
These farms were not insured against natural calamities and therefore, the economic losses will
significantly impair the ability of these farms to revive operations. The FAO added: " In
Andhra Pradesh, which accounts for about 25-30 per cent of India's total seafood exports,
2,000 fishing boats were estimated lost and 400 fish tanks were damaged." The true extent
of the damage is just beginning to unravel, sources in SEAI said. The fish landings from the sea
would be reduced. The long-term impact on aquaculture farms can also be grave.