Dr. Bala Raju Nikku

Andhra Pradesh has a 974 km coastline with nearly 600 fisher villages located within 5 to 10 km of the shore, home to over six lakh fishing population whose livelihoods depend on the fishing in the sea and markets. They are engines of the blue economy and a significant political constituency. Yet the recurrent deaths of fishers at sea are not accidents they are predictable outcomes of a system that leaves coastal communities exposed to rising risks.

The tragedy of 6 July 2026, when six fishermen died during routine fishing operations, is not an isolated incident. It is part of a recurring pattern along the Andhra coast and the Bay of Bengal, where 70 to 80 fishers die every year while fishing at Sea. These deaths rarely make national headlines, but they represent one of the most persistent and preventable livelihood risks in maritime India.

A survivor’s account:

The lone survivor of the seven‑member crew, Karri Chinna, recounted the incident with grief and exhaustion. According to media reports, he said:

“There were seven of us on the boat. We had gone nearly 29 nautical miles (about 54 km) into the sea early Saturday morning. After a few hours of fishing, we turned back because the catch was poor. When we were about 10 nautical miles (19 km) from the coast, around 3.30 pm, the boat suddenly tilted, lost balance, and capsized within seconds. One of our men sank and died instantly due to a mechanical failure. The remaining six of us clung to the overturned boat for nearly nine hours. As it slowly began to sink and no help was in sight, we realised it could no longer hold us. We had no choice; we had to swim for our lives.”

Karri Chinna swam for nearly 18 hours before being spotted and rescued by the crew of a Panama‑flagged merchant vessel, MV Universe Wealthy, around 9 a.m. on Sunday. He was later airlifted by the Indian Navy to INS Dega and shifted to KIMS Hospital, where he remains stable.

A livelihood built on danger and everyday risks:

Fishing in Andhra Pradesh is no longer the predictable occupation it once was. Cyclone patterns have shifted, the Bay of Bengal has become more volatile, and extreme weather events occur more frequently. Fishers from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam often describe the sea as “changing its behaviour” (samudram teeru marustondi) a phrase that captures both ecological transformation, climate crisis and the uncertainty of their daily work.

The six men who died last week were experienced fishers. They knew the waters, winds, and currents. Their deaths highlight a harsh truth: experience is no longer enough when climate variability, erratic monsoons, and sudden windstorms are becoming the norm. Human‑made risks- engine failures, overloaded boats, lack of life‑saving equipment, and alcohol use further compound the danger. Andhra Small‑scale fishers operate with limited technology, minimal safety gear, and almost no institutional protection. When they go to sea, they carry the full burden of risk, fatalism and hope as stated by one fisher elder from Jalaripeta.

Why are so many fishermen dying at Sea?

The annual toll of 70 to 80 deaths is driven by multiple factors:

Government programs: present but insufficient

These deaths are not “accidents”; they are outcomes of long‑term social and governance failures. Andhra Pradesh has several schemes aimed at fisher welfare, but their reach is uneven:

In short, policies exist, but they do not form a coherent safety net, which is why deaths continue. Disaster resilience must be community‑led. As my own research on disaster justice and coastal resilience shows, fisher deaths reflect deeper structural vulnerabilities. Resilience cannot be built through technocratic or bureaucratic approaches alone. It must be community‑led, grounded in fishers’ ecological knowledge of currents, winds, and seasonal patterns.

A way forward

Andhra Pradesh can lead the country by adopting a four point coastal and marine safety mission that treats fisher deaths as preventable:

If Andhra Pradesh acts decisively, the coast can once again become a place of robust livelihood rather than recurring tragedy. Strengthening resilience means integrating this knowledge with scientific forecasting not replacing it. Fishers must be partners in designing safety systems, not passive recipients of top‑down interventions.

About the Author:

Dr. Bala Nikku hails from Budithi village, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. He is currently serving as the Associate Professor of Social Work at Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada. Visit: https://resilientfutures.trubox.ca