fishing – Seabed Habitats

Seabed ecosystems and Indigenous livelihoods in Southwest coast of India

Happy new year for 2022! We are pleased to announce that Kumar Sahayaraju, Chevening Scholar, fisherman, and indigenous marine researcher at University of Sussex, UK will be giving a seminar on Tuesday 25th January at 1300 GMT on “Seabed ecosystems and Indigenous livelihoods in Southwest coast of India.”

It is identified by the indigenous fishers that Southeastern Arabian Sea has several biodiversity-rich reefs. Most of the reefs are rocky, some of them shaped like platforms. There are also sandy reefs and those developed over shipwrecks. Colonies of corals and mussels comprise much of the reef biodiversity, and support livelihoods of more than 300,000 artisanal fishers engaged in sustainable fishing. The local artisanal fishing practices involve a deep understanding of seabed morphology, seasonal variations in weather and sea state, seasonal climatic factors, astronomical objects and marine biodiversity. Amidst concerns about large-scale biodiversity loss in recent years these reefs are also challenged by anthropological and climate pressures. Much of the biodiversity in these regions is poorly documented in the scientific literature, and yet the Indigenous and local knowledge of many areas is extensive, but often overlooked. The session discusses about the importance and features of seabed ecosystem as a livelihood source of indigenous fishers in South India.

Biography: Kumar Sahayaraju is an emerging Marine Biotechnologist from an indigenous fishing community in South India. Being an Engineer in Biotechnology and a scuba diver, he has the experiences of working with organisations like Friends of Marine Life (FML), an indigenous marine research organisation in Kerala and M.S.Swaminadhan Research Foundation (MSSRF) with a capacity of marine researcher and community youth leader. He is doing sea bed ecosystem studies on the Southwest coast of India and documenting the biodiversity by incorporating the knowledge of the Mukkuva indigenous fishing community in India. As a founding member of Coastal Students Cultural Forum (CSCF), he undertakes marine environment related voluntary activism and promoting ocean literacy with coastal youth and graduate students. He has graduated from University of Stirling with a prestigious UK Chevening Scholarship. He is currently working as research assistant for University of Sussex, UK and volunteering as with Radio Kadal-Community radio for fishermen in Trivandrum. In addition to this, he is volunteering with Climate Science, Ireland on Climate Education in India. He is frequently engaging on climate change, conservation of marine resources and issues of indigenous Fisherfolk in South India.

Please register for seminar and to receive occasional updates below:

Management

Mikono ya Wavuvi or “In Fishermen’s Hands”

This year at the Beneath the Waves Film Festival, the short film Mikono ya Wavuvi meaning “In Fishermen’s Hands” won the People’s Choice Award. “Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, and globally, millions of people depend on the resources they provide. In East Africa, along the coast of Kenya, fishing is often the only option for work, and as a result, communities are highly reliant on coral reefs for food and livelihood. This has resulted in increasingly degraded coral reefs, where very few fish remain and sea urchins take over. Consequently, some fishermen have identified a need for change. This has resulted in an exciting movement for the establishment of community-managed areas closed to fishing, locally called a “tengefu”, which is a Swahili term meaning “to set something aside“. This is a short film about marine conservation in Kenya and the struggle between fishermen saving the ocean or saving their livelihood.”

via Mikono ya Wavuvi (In Fishermen’s Hands) on Vimeo.

“The Beneath the Waves Film Festival aims to encourage, inspire, and educate scientists, advocates, and the general public to produce and promote open-access, engaging marine-issue documentaries. The goal is to facilitate widespread science communication by bringing together marine films from around the world for open discussion, while also providing hands-on educational opportunities for researchers interested in film and media outreach.”

via Beneath The Waves Film Festival.