Marine Fishermen’s Perception about Consequences of Climate Change on Fisheries in Tamil Nadu State, India

Global climate change has become a critical barrier in the twenty-first century and it alarms the marine fishermen to respond and react until conditions become more adverse. Interaction with climate by humans occurs at all levels, but recent research has focused on industries, technological and demographic aspects. So far, less attention has been paid to investigate the factors which affect perception and decision-making at the individual level. The uncertain condition of climate on marine fisheries from the last two decades had created drastic change in ecosystems as well as in the fishers’ livelihood. Fishers are the group who first experiences the bitter conditions of climate change on marine fisheries because their livelihood depends highly on the marine resources. Therefore, the fishers’ perception about the consequences of climate change on fisheries may help to emerge the fisheries by implicating certain productive management measures. The research has been carried out in the two southern coastal districts of Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu state to find out the fishers’ perception of the consequences of climate change on fisheries. A sample size consisting of 120 marine fishermen were randomly selected and interviewed. The results inferred that increase in cost of fishing, increase in fishing investments, decline in fishing days, reduction in fish diversity and fish catches were the major consequences faced by fishers due to the climate change.