Despite a series of deep-sea accidents involving fishing boats, an accurate and updated record of fishermen, including migrant workers on duty, is yet to become a reality at several fishing harbours in Kozhikode district.

Harbour action committee leaders allege that some migrant fishers are suspected of using fake identity documents, including Aadhaar cards, to evade occasional inspections. They say the absence of a systematic record-keeping mechanism could pose serious difficulties in identifying crew members in the event of accidents at sea.

“During flash inspections, these suspected groups of migrants manage to stay away from the harbours. People who go out in boats rarely encounter such squads. We have brought all these issues before the Harbour Management Society functioning under the chairmanship of the District Collector,” says Karichali Preman, chairman of the Beypore Harbour Action Committee.

He says poor record-keeping and surveillance systems could weaken the identification process amid the increasing presence of migrant fishers from States such as Odisha and West Bengal.

Members of various harbour action committees at Puthiyappa and Chombal say fishing boat owners are often reluctant to verify the identity documents and whereabouts of migrant workers because of the acute labour shortage in the sector. In the event of an accident, they may not even be able to provide accurate details of the crew members on board, they add.

“Usually, migrant fishers do not stay at a workplace for more than a year or two. When they leave, another team of workers comes here and joins the boat operators. This highly mobile workforce makes it difficult for boat owners to comply with a systematic record-management system,” says a functionary of the Kerala Fishing Boat Owners and Operators Association in Kozhikode district. According to him, boat owners are willing to cooperate if the Fisheries department introduces a centralised and scientific record-management system for each harbour.

Leaders of various fishermen’s associations also complain that government schemes launched earlier to provide biometric identity cards and maintain a registry of migrant workers are no longer operational. Many of those who received biometric cards during earlier special drives are no longer involved in fishing activities at the harbours, they point out.

“Last year, there was a checking drive as part of a coastal safety initiative to validate the identity cards of fishers. However, it was stopped midway. A fresh round of inspections by Fisheries department officials, with the support of the coastal police and the Marine Enforcement Squad, can easily audit the situation,” says a fishermen’s organisation leader from Beypore. He notes that such an inspection would also help the authorities identify suspected drug traffickers and other criminal elements who may be operating under the guise of fishermen.

Meanwhile, Fisheries department sources confirm that the issues raised by various harbour action committees have already been brought to the attention of higher authorities for remedial action. Discussions to formulate an action plan are in the final stages, they add.

Published - August 09, 2026 07:42 pm IST