Tonka village to Honnavar binocular view

I experienced beautiful moments with my binoculars that I will never forget.

It was in Honnavar where the Sharavati river meets the Arabian Sea; the view through binoculars is pure magic. I saw fishermen casting nets at sunrise, their silhouettes golden against the water. I saw Kasarkod beach alive with birds, the historic lighthouse standing tall, and the Apsarakonda falls hidden in green hills.

In Tonka Village the sea came alive with art and life. Small boats gliding like brushstrokes on a blue canvas, children's laughter, and fisherfolk weaving stories.

Binoculars are one of the simplest yet most powerful optical tools ever invented. They bring distant worlds closer to our eyes, whether it is a bird hidden in a tree, a star in the night sky, or a ship on the horizon.

How do binoculars work?

A binocular is essentially two telescopes joined together, one for each eye. Light enters through the large objective lens, gets magnified, and is corrected by prisms to give us a straight, clear, and magnified image.

What do the numbers mean?

You will often see numbers like 8x42 or 10x50. The first number is magnification 8x means the object appears eight times closer. The second is the diameter of the objective lens in millimeters.

For beginners, 8x42 is ideal. In a world where we often rush past small wonders, Binoculars teach us to pause and look closer especially in a beautiful place like Honnavar.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Fishing net, Boat and Courage

 

Preface

A fisherman is a person who catches fish for a living. He is one of the hardest working people in society.

His life starts very early in the morning, even before the sun rises. He takes his small boat and fishing net and goes deep into the sea or river. He has a lot of courage because the sea is not always calm. Sometimes there are big waves and strong winds.

Fishing is not easy. Sometimes he catches a lot of fish, sometimes he catches nothing but he never loses hope. He patiently waits for hours.

The fisherman not only feeds his own family but he also provides food for all of us. The fresh fish we eat in the market comes because of his hard work.

We should always respect fishermen for their bravery and hard work.

Introduction

A fisherman is a person whose main occupation is catching fish. Since ancient times, fishing has been one of the oldest professions in the world. Fishermen mostly live near the sea, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas like Tonka town, Malpe, Karwar.

Daily Life

The life of a fisherman is full of struggle. He wakes up at 3 or 4 AM when the whole village is still sleeping. He checks his boat, nets, and engine. With his friends, he goes 10-20 kilometers deep into the sea. He stays in the water for 8 to 12 hours.

His work depends completely on nature. If the weather is good, he gets a good catch. If there is a storm or heavy rain, he has to come back empty-handed and his life is in danger.

Skills and Knowledge

A fisherman is not just a laborer, he is very knowledgeable. He can understand the direction of the wind by looking at the sky, he knows where fish will be found by looking at the color of the water, and he knows how to repair his net himself. This knowledge is passed from father to son.

Problems Faced:

1. Risk of Life: The sea is unpredictable.Threat to life always a company to those inside fishing boat navigating over the waves of Arabian Sea. Still fisherman carries risk in his fist.

2. Low Income: He has to sell his fish to middlemen for a low price in the early morning market. Even after working 12 hours in the sea, he gets very little money and struggles to meet daily expenses

3. No Modern Facilities: Many fishermen still do not have big boats, GPS, or life jackets. Because they use old nets and small engines, they cannot go far and their catch is less compared to big trawlers.

4. Off-Season: During the rainy season, fishing is banned for 2 months for fish breeding, at that time they have no income. In these two months they have to borrow money for food and depend on government help to

Importance to Society:

Fish is a very healthy food, rich in protein. The economy of our coastal Karnataka depends a lot on fishing. Fishermen provide nutritious food to crores of people.

Conclusion:

A fisherman teaches us two great lessons - Hard Work and Patience. He goes to work every day without any guarantee of income. The government and society must help them by giving better boats, insurance, education for their children, and good market prices. We must respect them.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Devu-anna at the Sharavathi estuary meets Arabian Sea at Tonka

 

The dark waters of the Sharavathi River moved with a quiet, ancient heavy grace as they neared their journey's end. There at the narrow wind-swept spit of land known as Honnavar Tonka; the river finally yielded to the vast, turbulent blue of the Arabian Sea. Long before the first rays of dawn broke over the Sahyadri hills, the air in Tonka was already thick with the rich scent of salt, wet sand, and diesel engines warming up along the jetty.

For over forty years, Devu-anna had read this stretch of coast like the palm of his hand. He knew the precise mood of the sea by the way the foam curled along Kasarkod beach, and he could predict the tide simply by listening to the distinct, thunderous roar where the river estuary met the ocean swell. To the younger boys in the village, that convergence—the sangama—was a place of unpredictable currents and sudden sandbars. But to Devu-anna, it was home.

On a cool, starry morning, Devu-anna pushed his wooden boat out into the shallow surf, his nephew Gautham steering the small outboard motor. Gautham was restless, his eyes continuously scanning the dark horizon. He had grown up hearing tales of the great winter squalls that could sweep across the coast without warning, turning the calm estuary into a churning trap.

"Watch the water near the spit, Gautham," Devu-anna said softly, his voice cutting through the mechanical hum of the motor. "The river wants to slide out gently, but the ocean always pushes back. You don't fight the wave at Tonka; you learn where it wants to take you."

They navigated past the long sand spit, where thousands of migratory gulls sat huddled against the damp sea breeze. As the boat cleared the mouth of the river, the heavy pitching began. The vast Arabian Sea opened up before them in deep shades of midnight blue. Miles behind them, the glowing beam of the Kasarkod lighthouse swept across the dark shoreline, a steady beacon anchored in the night.

By mid-morning, two miles off the coast, the nets were cast into the deep. The sun rose high, turning the waters into a blinding sheet of silver. Floating together in the absolute quiet of the open sea, Devu-anna shared stories of the old days—before the big trawlers came, when men rowed out beyond the breaker line using only hand-woven hemp nets and the stars for navigation.

When the time came to haul, the nets came up heavy and glistening. A silver bounty of fresh kingfish, mackerel, and pomfret tumbled onto the deck, thrashing in the sunlight. Gautham’s initial anxiety melted away into pure exhilaration as they sorted the catch into wooden crates.

By late afternoon, as the sky softened into shades of fiery orange and deep violet, the boat turned back toward Tonka. The estuary welcomed them back, its waters now calm and painted in golden reflections of the setting sun. On the shores of Tonka, women in colorful sarees and children were already waiting. As soon as the hull scraped against the wet sand, the beach erupted into its familiar, vibrant evening rhythm—shouted bids, laughing children running through the tide line, and the creak of wooden carts hauling the fresh catch toward the main market.

Devu-anna stepped onto the firm, damp sand and looked back toward the river mouth. The tide was coming in now, pushing fresh seawater back into the Sharavathi. For the people of Tonka, life was measured not in hours or days, but in this endless, eternal rhythm of the river meeting the sea.

Apeksha R. Tandel

That's My Coast through Binoculars Honnavar!

 

My home is near the coast of Honnavar. Every morning before the sunrise the coast wakes up. You can hear it - the waves talking, the boats starting, the birds calling. The fishermen don't need an alarm. The sea calls them.

I have a small spot near Kasarkod beach where I sit daily. I take my 10x42 binocular with me. Not to see far but to feel close.

Yesterday I saw an old man teaching his grandson how to throw a net. With my binocular, I could see his hands - wrinkled, strong, full of stories. He threw the net and it opened like a flower on the water.

On the other side at Honnavar Sante (festival), women sell the morning catch. Their voices are louder than the waves. If you look through a binocular from far you can see the silver shine of the fish before you even reach the market.

In the evening, the coast changes color. The Sharavati river becomes orange, the Arabian sea turns gold. Couples walk, kids play in sand, and crabs run to hide.

The coast is not just beach and water. It's people, work, family, and memories.

My great-grandmother lived here all her life. She used to say, "Look at the sea daily, it will teach you patience." Most likely, she would have been very happy if she had a binocular to see the returning boats clearly from her veranda.

That's my coast. Honnavar. Simple, salty, and full of life. It simply doesn't sleep.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Beach life in-between land and courage

For a city person, beach is a photo for Instagram.

For a coastal person, beach is life, food, and God.

This is not just about Honnavar. This is about Karwar, Kumta, Bhatkal, Mangalore, Udupi, Malpe, Goa, Kerala, and every coast where the Arabian Sea touches India.

5 AM - When the Beach Wakes Up Before You

From Kasarkod to Kanyakumari, the story is same.

The first footprint on the sand is not yours. It's a fisherman's. In Honnavar it's a Kharvi. In Malpe it's a Mogaveera. In Kerala it's a Dheevara. Different names, same bare feet.

He has already pulled his boat ashore before your alarm rings. His wife has already taken the fish to the market in a basket on her head. The sea has already given and taken.

You come to beach with slippers and sunglasses. He comes barefoot, because beach is his temple.

What is a Beach Actually?

Beach is not sand and water. Beach is a border. Where land ends and courage begins.

- For a fisherman: Beach is his office, his highway, his parking lot.

- For a child in any coastal village: Beach is a playground no money can build.

- For an old mother waiting at home: Beach is tension. Will her son return?

- For you and me: Beach is where our stress ends. You shout, no one judges. You sit silent, no one disturbs.

Every beach is different but the pain is same

Kasarkod has silence. Malpe has lights. Goa has music. Marina has crowd. Kovalam has tourists.

But every beach is crying for the same reason - PLASTIC.

Karwar fisherman says same as Honnavar fisherman - Bale alli meenigu kinta plastic jasti.

Mangalore fisherman says - Net alli plastic.

Goa fisherman says - Same, plastic is more than fish.

One beach is dirty, whole Arabian Sea becomes dirty because sea has no compound wall. Plastic thrown in Mumbai reaches Honnavar. Plastic thrown in Honnavar reaches Kerala.

The beach is tired all over India

One chocolate wrapper you throw in Bhatkal - it takes 5 years to go and kills a turtle in Kasarkod.

One beer bottle you break in Udupi - a fisherman's son in Kumta bleeds while walking barefoot.

One plastic cover you leave in Goa - a dolphin in Karwar thinks it's jellyfish and dies.

We come to beach to clean our mind, but we leave the beach dirty. From Gujarat to Kerala, same mistake.

A Small Request - For ALL Coastal Beaches

Next time you go to ANY beach - whether it's Honnavar Eco Beach or Om Beach or Malpe or Kovalam:

1. Sit for 10 minutes without phone. Just listen to waves. The waves are same everywhere.

2. Take 3 pieces of plastic back that are not yours. If 1000 people do it, beach will be clean in one day.

3. Don't write your name on sand. Sea will erase it anyway. Keep the beach clean - people will remember you.

Last Line:

From Honnavar to whole India - Beach doesn't need us. We need beach.

Beach was here before you were born. It will be here after you are gone.

If we don't protect it today, our children will only see beach in photos.

Nanna Plastic, Nanna Javabdari - My Plastic, My Responsibility.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Fisher - the soul of Honnavar

 

Don't call him poor. He is the richest in courage. The strongest man is fisherman.

At Tonka, Honnavar — while you are warm in your bed at 4 AM, a fisherman is already fighting death.

His boat is old. His net is torn. His life has no guarantee. If the engine fails in the middle of the sea, no one will come. If a big wave comes, no one will hear his scream.

Still, he smiles and says — "Samudra namma devru."

He knows the sea can take everything — his boat, his catch, even his life. Still, he goes every day because his children should not sleep hungry.

City people need AC to work. He works in 42-degree scorching sun. City people need a weekend off. He has not had a holiday in 20 years.

He does not beg from the government. He does not ask for sympathy. He only asks for RESPECT.

When you bargain for 10 rupees less for fish, remember fish cost him his sweat, his blood, and a night without sleep.

A fisherman is not just a fisherman. He is a warrior. He is the protector of our coast. He is the soul of Honnavar.

Apeksha R. Tandel

The Life of a Fisherman: Strength in the Waves

A fisherman's life begins before the sun rises. While the world sleeps, he is already at the shore, checking his nets, his boat, and the direction of the wind.

His life is not just a job, it is a fight with nature every day. The sea gives food, but it also tests his courage. One day the catch is full, the next day the nets come back empty. Yet he never stops going.

He learns everything from experience, not from books. He reads the clouds, the color of the water, the movement of birds. His knowledge is passed from father to son.

The biggest pain in a fisherman's life is uncertainty. No fixed income, no fixed rest. When the sea is rough or the government bans fishing, the whole family struggles 

Yet the biggest strength is unity. When fishermen stand together as a team, like superheroes of the coast, no wave can break them. Their unity protects their rights, their families, and their future.

A fisherman may be poor in money, but he is rich in heart, courage, and tradition. His story deserves respect, support, and to be heard.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Fish of the Sea and Salt of the Earth: Struggle of Honnavar dry fishers

At the mouth of the Sharavathi river where the river meets the Arabian Sea at Kasarkod Tonka, lies one of Karnataka's most important traditional fishing commons. The beach here is not just a beach. For generations, it has been a fish drying yard, a market, and a home.

A Women-Centric Livelihood

Tonka is an intergenerational fishing community. While men go to sea, fish drying, trading and selling is almost entirely run by women.

According to studies, there are about 150 active dried fish processors at Kasarkod village, down from about 500 a decade ago, while local estimates put the number of women engaged in traditional dry fish processing at around 2000. They belong to Hindu Kharvi and Gabit communities, and also Christian and Muslim families. 

They dry 11-13 varieties of fish - mainly anchovies, mackerel, sardines, ribbon fish - on the open sunny beach with clean sea air. The method is simple and ancient: gut, wash with water from the jetty, salt, and sun-dry for 2-3 days on coir mats and nets. The product is then sold directly to consumers, to hinterlands traders, and now even to buyers as far as Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. 

Medha Patkar of NAPM was heard on social media after her maiden some months ago during her visit to Tonka, Kasarkod "Dried fish from Honnavar are sold across Asia. This too is development, while maintaining dignified women-centric livelihoods."

The Commons Under Threat

Since 2016-17, this commons has been under severe threat from the proposed Honnavar Port Private Limited which is Rs 600 crore private port for coal, iron ore and general cargo planned on 44 hectares across five villages - Tonka 1, Tonka 2, Pavinkurva, Mallukurva and Honnavar Rural. 

The fisherfolk say surveyors came one day and "forcibly demolished the area we used to dry fish". A 3-4 km four-lane link road to National Highway 66 is attempted to be built through what was earlier just beach and Olive Ridley turtle nesting ground. 

Local fishers say the road runs through CRZ-III, a no-development zone, and is part of the coastal commons used for drying fish for generations. Heavy trucks carrying coal and ore will pollute the air, making drying impossible. They expressed fear that once the port materialises, the movement of heavy vehicles would pollute the atmosphere and jeopardise their livelihood. 

The impact is already visible: the dried-fish industry that used to operate on the land stopped functioning after the port authorities took over the land.

More Than Fish

For Tonka, this is not just economic. The beach is also a sporadic nesting site for the endangered Olive Ridley Turtle, which locals worship as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and help conserve with the Forest Department. Scientists describe this coast as highly erosive and ecologically fragile.

Over 23,500 fisher folk in Honnavar, many of them women, and about 6,000 families who rely on fishing face an existential crisis. 

And yet, the resistance continues as fisherwoman Parwati Datta Tandel quips "We are fighting for our rights. We want our land, our business, and our people. We will lead our lives by doing the fish business". 

The dry fishers of Tonka are a reminder that development cannot be measured only in ports and tonnage. It is also measured in the quiet work of women turning fish under the sun, in food that reaches the poorest plates in India, and in a community that asks only to be left to continue its way of life.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Living in trust with Sea

 Photo credits: Raju D. Tandel

For some, the sea is a tourist spot. For some, a beautiful background for a photo.

But for a fisherman, the sea itself is his mother, the sea itself is his God, the sea itself is his life.

3 o'clock in the morning. When the whole village is in deep sleep, the light is on in the fisherman's house. His wife packs a small bundle of rice and a bottle of water. His children, still half-asleep, say "Papa, come back soon." He touches his child's forehead, folds his hands to God, and walks into the darkness towards the sea.

He has no degree in his hands, no crores of property. He has only one thing - a torn net, an old boat, and a chest full of courage.

The sea never gives a promise. Today the net may be full of fish, tomorrow he may return empty-handed. If the waves get strong, the boat may sink. He risks his very life and goes, not just for himself. When we see fish on our lunch plate at noon and push it aside saying "it's not tasty", we forget that for that one plate of fish, a father has mortgaged his life to the sea.

A fisherman is never greedy. All he wants is for his children's stomachs to be full today. Worrying about tomorrow, he fights with today's wave. Even when there is a cyclone warning, he goes back into the sea to repay a loan, to pay his daughter's fees. Because he has no other way.

We sit in an AC room and complain that "fish has become expensive". But we don't see the price of sweat behind that expense, the salt of tears, the anxiety of a wife who stays awake all night.

How many times have the waves of the sea washed away his dreams, how many times have they shattered his boat. Yet the next morning he stands again in front of the sea with folded hands. That is his strength. The stubbornness to get up even after falling, to cast the net again even after losing - that is what makes him a true hero.

A fisherman is not poor. He is rich. He has patience that we don't have, humility to bow before nature, and a big heart that sees hope for tomorrow even in an empty net.

Next time you go to the seashore, don't just look at the waves. Look at that small boat seen far away. The one sitting inside it is not just a fisherman, he is the provider who risks his life to fill our stomachs.

Let us give him respect. Let us value his hard work.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Fisherman - The Unseen Hero

 

Our lives don't depend on the waves of the sea but his entire life stands on those waves.

While we are sleeping in our warm beds, he is awake at 3 AM in the morning. The whole village is asleep. A father, with his torn net on his shoulder and a lantern in his hand, walks towards the sea. No one is with him, only his shadow and the sound of the sea.

He doesn't know the weather report. He doesn't know the scientific reason for a tsunami. He knows only one thing - if the wind blows to the east, he will get fish, if it blows to the west, his life is in danger.

When he pushes his boat into the sea, his wife stands on the shore and prays to God. That prayer doesn't stop until he returns. Because she knows the sea is both a mother who gives and a demon who takes away.

Do you know what is in the one basket of fish he brings back? One day's meal, his daughter's new uniform, his son's notebook, and the interest on a loan that can never be repaid. He has never eaten the big fish he himself caught. Thinking, "If I sell this, I will get 500 rupees, I can buy books for my daughter," he smiles even on an empty stomach.

We bargain for 50 rupees in the market. We loudly say "too costly." But we never calculate the 12 hours of darkness, hunger, and fear of death behind that one fish.

He doesn't want government promises, he doesn't want big awards. He wants only one thing - his children should live happily on the shore, they should never have to fight with the sea for their whole life like him.

That is why he is still fighting with the waves today. He is a real hero. Not a hero from the movies, but a real hero who fights with the sea every day for our food.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Tribute of love to Great Grandma

Today, our family bids a tearful farewell to the strongest root of our family tree. My beloved Great Grandmother Smt. Gange Ramachandra Tandel left us for her heavenly abode on Saturday night at 11:13 PM at Tonka, Kasarkod, Honnavar.

She was not just a person, she was an era. An era of unconditional love, of selfless sacrifice, of endless patience, and of values that held our entire family together.

In her lap, we learned what love means. In her stories, we learned what life means. In her blessings, we found our strength. Her hands that blessed us, her voice that guided us, and her smile that gave us comfort will be missed every single day.

She was part of our existence, and now she will continue to live within us — in our memories, in our traditions, in the warmth of her teachings, and in every prayer of our family.

Though she is not physically with us today, her legacy will live on through generations. We will try to live up to her expectations, her values and her love.

We miss you deeply. We love you forever.

Om Shanti. 

Bhavapurna Shraddhanjali.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Tribute to Gange R. Tandel

Gange Ramachandra Tandel breathed last nearing mid-night at 11.20 pm on 19 September 2026 at her residence at Tonka, Kasarkod, Honnavar, Karnataka. I never got to know her age accurately but certainly know that she lived her life as wife, mother, grand mother and even great grand mother and lived till her ripe old age. I guess she must be anywhere above 80.

I knew her personally from the day stepped in her house on 27 February 2025. I met her dozen times ever since past 19 months. Last few months I have seen her deteriorating health and constant medical attention. 

Whenever I would visit her she would converse with me fondly. She narrated her life time incidents to me. There is much I learned from her.

I learned her hard toiling life not only bring up family but also about her work. She shared close relationship with the Sea. Those days fish used to be bumper. There were no trawlers, no purse seiners, no Ports around. Her husband would catch fish and she would go selling with other village women. She would go far and wide. Tonka was famous for dry fish then. There was no Honnavar Port Private Limited (HPPL) with its marauding presence disrupting dry fishing conquering spaces to dry fish and and rack up dust to trigger dust settling on drying fish in the open. There no heavy truck movements on the roads. She has seen life first hand in Kasarkod, life that was prosperous and courageous.

Gange would often come to Goa markets to sell fish. She visited Margao market often. I was stunned to know from her that she reached in bus to sell dry fish even at Mapusa Market in Goa. This market is so familiar being having being the visitor all my life. Gange would take this extra mile effort Journey to make her living little better, her family little happier.

There would always smile on her face every time I visited her house. She would sit in the balcony and converse with me and I with her till something would distract any of us.

She was witness to police brutalities on 25 February 2025 in her house, in her village. She was lady with enormous courage. I remember when I visited her house two days later on 27 February 2025 she was an exception to everyone around having broken down and let tears out as they began sharing the turmoil. She did not cry. Perhaps she did before meeting me for two days. Perhaps her tears had dried up facing life sorrows. After all she has been in witness to her villagers resisting the Port in Honnavar for last years. She has seen so much about Tonka, Kasarkod, Honnavar that even Chief Secretary of Karnataka Shalini Rajneesh has not.

Gange was first generation women from Tonka and neighbouring villages who were influenced with resistance ideology then led by famous Dr. Kusuma in late 1970s, early 1980s. Gange participated in protests movements then with Dr Kusuma. I saw Dr. Kusuma's photo at Sneha Kunja medical dispensary at Kasarkod some months ago and instantly recognised her having personally interacted with her during her awareness cycle yatra in 1993.

Her participated induced next three generations in her family to resists injustice. I got to know this from her grandson Raju D. Tandel who is NFSF Organising Secretary, Karnataka State few months ago when we pondered on her life.

Gange has been inspiration for her children and grand children and the villagers of Tonka, Karaskod to march forward in the path of resistance in daring manner. And when got glimpse into her life experiences during my visits to her house she inspired me too!

She is the one that society would easily cover under the carpet. Yet her life matters. Her struggle matters. Recognition to get contribution matters. The torch of resistance that she lighted in her family many decades ago matters. This matters because her action has turned her village into subject of history; refusing to be kicked around by Police, Politicians, Beaurecrats and Private Port company - HPPL.

Gange R.Tandel has her share of contribution for she was not just woman fishworker but but someone who demonstrated tremendous sense of Justice and encouraged her family to be in the struggle.

We thank Gange Tandel for the kind of life she lived and kind of legacy she had left behind for us to pick-up the baton and move for her toiling life may be rewarded with peaceful eternal rest.

Heartfelt Condolences to everyone in family.

Sebastian Rodrigues

The Fisherman and The Sea

The fisherman and the sea is not just a relationship, it is a story written by time itself. Long before farmers started farming and builders started building, there was a man standing near the water with a net in his hand. That was the first fisherman.

The Daily Life

The life of a fisherman is one of the hardest lives in the world. His day does not start at 9 AM. It starts at 3 or 4 AM, when it is still dark. He wakes up while his wife and children are still sleeping. He drinks his tea, checks his boat, checks his nets which he repaired the previous evening with his own hands. Then he goes to the sea or the river, like our Tungabhadra river near Koppal.

For a normal person, the sea is for holidays and photos. For a fisherman, the sea is his office. It is a place full of secrets. He can read the water. By looking at the color of the water, the direction of the wind, and the sound of the birds, he can say if today will be a good day or a dangerous day. No school taught him this. The sea itself taught him, and his father taught him.

The Struggle and The Lessons

His work is full of risk. Sometimes he goes 10 kilometers inside and catches nothing. Sometimes his net tears. Sometimes a big storm comes suddenly. Many fishermen have lost their boats, and some have lost their lives. But still, the next morning, he goes again. That is why we respect him.

A fisherman teaches us the greatest lessons for life:

1. Patience: In today's world we want everything fast. Fast food, fast internet, fast money. But a fisherman can wait for 5-6 hours just sitting silently with one fishing rod. He teaches us that good things take time.

2. Hard Work Without Guarantee: A software engineer works and gets a fixed salary. A fisherman works the hardest but there is no guarantee he will get anything. He teaches us to do our duty without worrying too much about the result.

3. Living With Nature, Not Against It: He never takes all the fish. Traditional fishermen like our people know to leave small fishes so they can grow. They know not to fish during breeding season. They are the real protectors of the river and sea.

4. Courage and Faith: To go alone into a huge sea in a small wooden boat needs unbelievable courage. And to go every single day believing that today will be a good catch, even after failing for a week, needs deep faith.

The Modern Problems

Today the fisherman's life is even more difficult. The water is polluted with plastic and factory waste. Big companies come with huge trawler boats and take all the fish with big machines. Due to climate change, the rains and winds have changed, and fishing has become more dangerous. The fish are becoming less and less.

Despite all this, he smiles. He comes back to shore, his children run to him, and whatever small catch he has, he shares with his family and neighbors.

Conclusion

In the end, the story of the fisherman and the sea is a love story. Sometimes the sea is angry, sometimes it is kind, but the fisherman never leaves her.

I feel so proud when I think of this. I am happy to be the daughter of a fisherman because my father is not just a man who catches fish, he is a brave man who fights with nature every day to feed his family with honesty.

This is why we should all respect fishermen. They feed the whole country.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Sharavati river and the life of fishermen

 

Photo: Raju D. Tandel

I am very connected to the Sharavati River because during the rainy season, boat do not go to sea for three months, during that time small boats go in the Sharavati waters. The Sharavati River gives us fish during the rainy season. Like my mother, the Sharavati River, I don't want to lose it. The Sharavati River is our lifeline.

Sharavati is the lifeline of Honnavar. It originates at Ambuthirtha in the Western Ghats, creates the world-famous Jog Falls, and flows 128 km to meet the Arabian Sea at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada.

Where the river meets the sea, a very fertile estuary is formed. This estuary is everything for the local fishermen. For hundreds of years, around 6000 fishermen families from Tonka, Kasarkod, Mallukurva and Honnavar have depended on it for fishing, clam collection and women-led dry-fish business.

The health of the river is directly linked to the life of fishermen. When Linganamakki and Gerusoppa dams were built, the freshwater flow changed. The river mouth shifted 3.5 km to the north. Due to change in salinity, clams, mussels and special estuary fish decreased.

Now the big discussion is about HPPL - Honnavar Private Port Limited. The company has proposed to build a private commercial port right on the sand-spit where the river meets the sea.

Concerns of fishermen:

- Space for fishing: Fishermen have expressed concern that the breakwater built for the port may affect boat movement and fish breeding grounds.

- Coastal erosion: Experts say that if the natural movement of sand is obstructed, there is a possibility of increased erosion in Tonka and Kasarkod villages.

- Environmental sensitivity: This Tonka beach had several Olive Ridley turtle nestings and dense mangrove forests. In Honnavar, the dense mangroves are not exactly on the open beach - they are inside the Sharavati estuary behind the sand-split. It is important to maintain ecological balance.

What fishermen say is - "Along with development, our livelihood and environment should also be protected."

Currently discussions and legal processes are going on regarding this project, and everyone is focused on saving the Sharavati river and the sea.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Fisherman: A Life of Courage and Dignity

A fisherman is not just a man with a net. He is a warrior of the sea.  

Every morning before sunrise, while the world sleeps, the fisherman wakes up. He goes to the river or the sea with hope in his heart and courage in his hands.

Fishing is not an easy job. The sea is both a mother and a teacher. Sometimes it gives a big catch. Sometimes it gives nothing. Sometimes it tests you with big waves and storms. But the fisherman never gives up. He learns patience, hard work, and faith from the water.

In villages like Tonka near Honnavar, fishing is not just a job. It is life. The father teaches the son how to steer the boat. The mother prays on the shore. The whole family lives by the rhythm of the tide.

A fisherman feeds thousands of people. Yet he asks for very little. His wealth is not in money. His wealth is in the sunrise he sees, the salt on his hands, and the respect he earns.

We must respect fishermen. They risk their lives so that we can have food on our plates.  

The dignity of a fisherman is written not in rupees, but in the waves he conquers every day.

Apeksha R. Tandel

The First Man Awake: A Fisherman’s Story

3:00 AM

The city is asleep. Streetlights are still on.  

But in the coastal villages, one house has light.  

He is already up. The first man 

No coffee machine. No commute.  

Just a flask of tea, a prayer, and a boat that’s waiting.

His name won’t be in headlines today.  

But without him, there would be no headlines about food prices tomorrow.

The Sea Doesn’t Negotiate

He checks the sky, not an app.  

His grandfather taught him: read sky in morning, take warning.  

His phone has two bars. The loan app has reminders.

He goes anyway.  

Because four people at home are counting on him.  

Because the middleman already advanced money.  

Because if he doesn’t go today, the net stays empty tomorrow.

When the sea is calm, he is a provider.  

When the sea is angry, he is a gambler with his life.  

Cyclones don’t ask for ID cards. Waves don’t care about EMIs.

The Invisible Supply Chain

By 10 AM his catch is in the market.  

By 1 PM it’s on your plate.  

From boat → auction → truck → market → hotel → you.  

Five hands touch it. He gets the smallest share.  

We talk about “food security” in AC rooms.  

He creates it with salt on his skin and sleep in his eyes.

What He’s Really Carrying

It’s not just fish.  

It’s loans.  

It’s a daughter’s school fees.  

It’s the fear that the sea will be empty for his son.  

It’s plastic in the net. It’s fuel prices. It’s rules made far from the shore.

He doesn’t ask for charity.  

He asks for 3 things:  

Respect. Fair price. A future.

 This Is Our Story Too

The fisherman is called unskilled labor in reports but he can read wind, tide, moon, and cloud.  

That’s a PhD written in experience.

The next time you scroll past news about “fisheries policy” or “marine heatwaves,”  

remember the first man who was awake.  

His struggle is not just a coastal issue.  

It’s a food issue. A climate issue. A human issue.

If his boat sinks, our food system shakes.  

If his daughter gets an education, our coast gets stronger.

Closing remarks

He leaves before we wake up.  

He risks so we can eat.  

The least we can do is see him.

He is not just a fisherman.  

He is the first man awake for all of us.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Community conservation comes in effect in Mandovi clam fishery

Clam fishery campal will remain closed from 11 August 2026 for two months as conservation step on part of the fishers. Two months closure is designed in order to strengthen principle of sustainability in clam fishery in Mandovi river.

Two months shut down of clam fisheries is rewarding in both ecological and economic sense. Two months of non-fishing allows clams to grow without interruptions and size of clams grows bigger fetching good income too.

There are number of community conservation practices in place all over the world. However they are not recognized nor rewarded and most often remains ignored. Campal fishery consists of around 25 fishers; most of whom are members of All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union (AGSSRFU)

Octopus fishery in Kenya too has elements of community conservation as we learned from our interactions with African fishers in Mombasa through Community Action for Nature Conservation (CANCO).

Conservation is contested arena where marine areas are demarcated as protected areas without community involvement in decision making that alienates fishing communities. Due to this situation number of conservation projects in the world are facing resistance. Number of international organisations are facing this challenge.

I had raised this issue in my capacity as delegate to the metting at FAO SSF summit at Rome in 2024 while representing small scale fishers at that international forum too where international delegates from many other countries supported National Federation of Small-Scale Fishworkers (NFSF) position on community conservation.

There is no better condition for marine conservation when community of fishers decides to self- administer the same.

Kudos to Campal fishers of Goa, India for their sensitivity and sensible efforts at community conservation. We only hope that Panjim sewage is stopped from release in Mandovi where their canoes dock.

Sebastian Rodrigues 

Breaking out of betrayals: The Honnavar way!

Two top judicial institutions of the Country has betrayed fishing communities of Kasarkod-Tonka, Honnavar in Karnataka. The first betrayal came on 10 June 2025 in the form of verdict of National Green Tribunal, South Zone Chennai in Appeal no. 07 of 2025 (SZ) and I.A. No. 39 of 2025 (SZ) with Appeal no.15 of 2025. This judgement minus justice was delivered by court consisting of Hon'ble Smt. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial member, and Hon'ble Dr. Satyagopal Korlapati, Expert member. This betrayal was challenged in Supreme Court.

Supreme Court verdict of 08 September 2025 became second judicial betrayal of the year in less than three months. This verdict was pronounced in division bench consisting of Hon'ble Justice Mr. M.M. Sundresh and Hon'ble Justice Mr. Satish Chandra Sharma in Civil Apeal no.11021/2025 Karavali Menugarar Karmika Sanga Vs State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and another.

The above two betrays of 2025 were addition to two more involving administrative high handedness an police violence and arrests of over 40 local fishermen and fisherwomen on 25 February 2025 and survey for 50 meters wide road over people's houses on 26 February 2025.

Therefore there are four dark betrayal days etched in 2025 history: 25 February, 26 February, 10 June and 08 September.

There more betrayals in 2024 and and earlier that needs to be chronicled and marked as historical days including the day of betrayal in Karnaraka High Court.

Cumulative impacts of series of betrayals over the years has led to increased tormenting of fishers of Kasarkod-Tonka. Their fishing spaces has gone under Port Construction work, fish drying spaces are largely taken over by Port work, existing fish drying spaces are attracting dust from the Port work thereby suffering economic losses. Fishers going to fish for gill net and cast nets in Sharavathi river are prevented from fishing by Port security.

While all the above betrayals of Kasarkod-Tonka by various Courts creates disgusting narrative here we present amazing counter in the form robust education system that has facilitated education of the generation of students. Here is Apeksha R.Tandel's writings that showers shine on education infrastructure of Kasarkod-Tonka coastal village:

https://bharatmukti.blogspot.com/2026/08/my-school-my-foundation.html?m=1


It is no doubt that education leads the resistance banner on march ahead in Kasarkod-Tonka, Honnavar. We need to join too! We will!

Fishers are Backbone of the Coast

If farmers are the backbone of the land, fishers are the backbone of the sea

Introduction

A fisher is not just a person who catches fish. He is the provider, the risk-taker, and the guardian of our oceans. From early dawn to late night, a fisher battles the waves to bring food to millions of tables.

Daily Life and Hard Work

The day of a fisher starts at 3 AM. With nets, boats, and hope, they go deep into the sea. The sea is both their workplace and their biggest challenge. Storms, big waves, lack of fish, and rising diesel prices make their job very tough. Yet they go again the next day. 

Fishing is not just a job, it’s a tradition passed down for generations. Fathers teach sons how to read the wind, the clouds, and the color of the water.

Problems Faced by Fishers

1. Climate Change: Unpredictable weather and cyclones destroy boats.

2. Overfishing & Pollution: Plastic and chemicals are killing marine life.

3. Low Income: Middlemen take most of the profit. Fishers get very little.

4. Lack of Facilities: Cold storage, proper harbors, and insurance are still missing in many villages.

Importance to Society  

Without fishers, there is no fish curry, no export, no seafood industry. India is the 2nd largest fish producing country in the world. Crores of people depend on fishing directly and indirectly. 

Government Support & Future 

Schemes like PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Kisan Credit Card for fishers, and modern boats are helping. But more training, insurance, and fair market rates are needed.

Conclusion 

A fisher’s life is full of struggle but also pride. They feed the nation while risking their own lives. Respecting a fisher means respecting the sea and the food on our plate.  

                Apeksha R.Tandel

Our Town - Tonka Kasarkod, Honnavar

Tonka Kasarkod is a beautiful coastal village near Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district.

The special thing about our town is its location. To the west lies the Arabian Sea, and to the east flows the Sharavati River. The sea is our life. Every day fishermen go in boats and bring back fish. The beach in the evening is very beautiful.

In the middle of the Arabian Sea there is a beautiful hill. Its name is Netrani Hill. This hill is the pride of our village. Tourists and locals come to see this hill. Netrani Hill adds more beauty to our sea.

The main occupation of our village is fishing only. There is no agriculture here. Hundreds of families depend only on the fish from the sea for their livelihood but for the last few years we have been struggling a lot because of the HPPL company.  

HPPL means Honnavar Port Private Limited Company. Because of this company’s projects, fishermen are facing problems to go to the sea. Our livelihood is coming to a dangerous situation.

Apeksha R. Tandel