India fisherfolk map way to save coast

With maps they draw of their land use, they challenge plans that hurt the environment

Urur Kuppam fisherman Payalam, 52, showing his notebook with GPS coordinates of rocks and shorelines where migratory fish are found this season. He says bureaucrats who have never gone fishing must respect community knowledge. Ms Pooja Kumar and Mr K
Ms Pooja Kumar and Mr K. Saravanan in the coastal village of Urur Kuppam, which was not on Chennai's map until Mr Saravanan put down what he saw in his village on government revenue maps. He and Ms Kumar have since helped nearly 80 fishing villages in India's Tamil Nadu map their land use. ST PHOTO: ROHINI MOHAN
Urur Kuppam fisherman Payalam, 52, showing his notebook with GPS coordinates of rocks and shorelines where migratory fish are found this season. He says bureaucrats who have never gone fishing must respect community knowledge. Ms Pooja Kumar and Mr K
Urur Kuppam fisherman Payalam, 52, showing his notebook with GPS coordinates of rocks and shorelines where migratory fish are found this season. He says bureaucrats who have never gone fishing must respect community knowledge. ST PHOTO: ROHINI MOHAN
Rohini Mohan India Correspondent In Chennai
Updated
Dec 16, 2019, 06:52 AM
Published
Dec 16, 2019, 05:00 AM
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At sunset at Besant Nagar beach, elderly couples walked quietly along the shore, younger ones held hands, and children begged for ice cream.

A few hundred metres away, fishermen hauled their boats to shore. A row of women arranged pomfret, squid and sardines on upturned wooden crates. The fish market was up.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 16, 2019, with the headline India fisherfolk map way to save coast. Subscribe

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