MANGROVE RESORATION FOR FISHERMEN

Touring through the Bay of Bengal mangroves that have been ravished from 2005 tsunamis and its direct effect on the local fishing community - Pondicherry, India.

During our trip to Pondicherry, we were able to meet with a panchayat (town leader) and local fishing community to learn about the pressing issues facing their livelihoods. According to the group we met with and interviewed, it seems there are a multitude of problems facing their occupations. The traditional forms of fishing are becoming obsolete as new technologies of GPS systems and larger vessels are controlling the market for fish. Regulations for net sizes have been changed to try and accommodate for the men who still use these origional methods but no amount of small catch is going to compare with new advancements in the fishing trade. After the 2005 tsunami that came through the east coast of India, many of the mangroves that acted as a habitat to the local fish were up-rooted and destroyed. This created less space for fish to breed and the number of fish in the water significantly decreased. After understanding the struggles of these people I could see an adaptation that needs to be made for the development of this society. One to truly focus in the preservation for a sustainable environment to ensure security with their practices, and one to accept the changing industry of fishing communities and think of ways to adapt. How will it begin? Where will they gain the funds, time, power, energy to make these necessary changes happen?