Thiruvananthapuram | Ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections in Kerala, a familiar refrain echoes through its coastal villages-- "Whoever forms the government, we will continue to live the same life, struggling in the sea." The sentiment underlines a sense of neglect among fishermen who believe political parties have largely overlooked their demands.

The fishermen in Kerala, the majority of whom belong to the Latin Catholic community (about 20 lakh in number), do not function as a unified vote bank, but the Church does influence their political decisions.

"The Latin fishermen community in Kerala will wait for political parties' manifestos before deciding whom to vote for," Vicar General of the Thiruvananthapuram Latin Archdiocese, Fr Eugene Pereira, told PTI Videos.

He said the community has discussed its concerns and demands with all political parties.

"We hope that our demands and issues will be included in the political parties' manifestos for this election," he added.

Many say the government intervened effectively, though after a long delay, but much more needs to be done to lift the community out of its struggles.

Many have welcomed the major infrastructure development in Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram, where India's largest transhipment port is located.

However, the local parish remains unhappy that the benefits of development have not fully reached the most affected community.

"They speak about development, but what is the use of development if the surrounding people do not benefit? Some youths have secured jobs at the port, but not at the desired level," Fr Dr Nicholas T, parish priest of Vizhinjam, told PTI.

He said the government has promised to provide homes for over 1,600 families displaced by the port's development.

"The government has started the process; we need it to continue," he said.

Fishermen in Vizhinjam had earlier rallied against the port construction, with the Church leading the agitation. However, effective government intervention later led to the strike being called off.

"Many promises were made and work on some of them is progressing. But we need a comprehensive solution to the issues affecting these people," Nicholas said.

While Vizhinjam port development and related issues are major concerns in the Kovalam Assembly constituency, part of which comes under Thiruvananthapuram corporation limits, the construction of a seawall and the dredging of accumulated sand at the river mouth in Muthalapozhi are key poll issues in the neighbouring Chirayinkeezhu Assembly constituency.

Accidents in Muthalapozhi have claimed many lives, prompting fishermen to stage road blockades multiple times in protest, demanding immediate intervention.

"We took up the matter with Union Minister of State for Fisheries, George Kurian. He held discussions with the fishing community in Muthalapozhi and later announced Rs 106 crore for dredging and seawall construction. However, it still remains on paper," Fr Eugene Pereira said.

Fishermen living along Kerala's 590 km coastline face issues such as sea erosion and the impacts of climate change. In Chellanam in Ernakulam district, the Kerala government resolved a decades-long problem of sea erosion by constructing a 7.36 km seawall in the first phase.

Work on the second phase, which will add another 6.1 km, is also underway.

The local fishing community has welcomed the project, as the area has become a major tourism hotspot, providing them with additional income.

Fishermen in other areas, such as Pozhiyur near the Tamil Nadu border, see this as an ideal model for protecting their villages, which are battered by surging waves.

Other concerns include declining fish catches, the Union Government's move to lease parts of the sea for mining to private companies under the Blue Economy initiative, and even a drinking water crisis.

In Vizhinjam, just a few metres from the port, people still buy potable water for Rs 7 per pot. They have long demanded a proper drinking water supply, but the issue remains unresolved, making it a major poll concern in the area.

"We have raised this with our MLA (Kovalam), but nothing has happened. We hardly see him here," said Rosemary, a local resident.

Eugene Pereira, who has been at the forefront of many fishermen's struggles across the state, said the Latin community has not aligned itself with any single political party and makes its decisions based on whether its concerns are reflected in party manifestos.

"We have both LDF and UDF MLAs from our community," he added.

Kerala also has a sizeable number of Hindu and Muslim fishermen.

"What can a government do to change the behaviour of the sea? The government has done what it can, but the nature of the sea has changed, forcing us to travel further to secure a decent catch," said Abdul Rahman, a Muslim fisherman in Vizhinjam.

He added that due to climate change, they now have only three to four months of full-fledged fishing, and fish availability has dropped drastically even during the peak season