Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Vol. 11 No. 4 (2024)
Journal Space and Culture, India recognises and appreciates the contribution of social workers worldwide

Research

Health Conditions of Inter-State Migrants in Marine Fisheries: A Study of Kerala

https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v11i4.1413

Published 2024-03-29

  • Jenikrishna MU
    • ,
  • Neelmani Jaysawal

Jenikrishna MU
PhD Scholar, Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati, Post Office-Sriniketan, Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

Neelmani Jaysawal
Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati, Post Office-Sriniketan, Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

The marine fisheries are one of the vital occupations in the southern parts of India. This industry is considered to be the foundation of revenue generation for these states. Kerala, being located at the southernmost part of India, is promoting this industry with support from inter-state migrant labourers. The inter-state migrants working in Kerala’s maritime industry are from northern and southern India. As a result of higher salaries and improved working conditions in this unskilled sector, people from the North and Eastern parts of the country have started to migrate to Kerala. Indeed, the continual cash flow in this sector makes it lucrative and invites a large influx of migrant labour to this region. These inter-state migrant labourers work for more than eight hours and spend 10 to 15 days at sea while fishing. They have to stay with heavy pieces of equipment at sea away from shore. This heart-wrenching situation deteriorates their health. They come across various kinds of professional injuries while fishing. Some of these fishermen and fisherwomen encounter long-term effects from those injuries.

On the other hand, catering to their health needs seems challenging due to the lack of adequate medical facilities for migrant labourers. Following the increase in migratory flow, Kerala’s health system has faced several institutional impediments. The lack of identification of migrant labourers cripples the entire process of providing access to a better healthcare system to them. As a result, inter-state migrant labourers in the marine industry are facing various health-related challenges due to the nature of this profession and the apathy of state machinery.

Therefore, this study seeks to explore the health issues affecting the inter-state migrant labourers in Kerala’s marine sector through a mixed-method research design.

Keywords

Inter-state Migrants, Maritime Industry, Health Issues, Occupation, Heavy Equipments, Kerala, India

pdf

References

  1. Allison, E. H.& Seeley, J. A. (2004). HIV and AIDS among fisherfolk: A threat to “responsible fisheries”?. Fish and Fisheries, 5(3), 215-234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2679.2004.00153.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-2679.2004.00153.x
  2. Bollini, P. & Siem, H. (1995). Health needs of migrants. World Health, 48(6), 20-21. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/330280.
  3. Borhade, A. (2011). Migrant’s (Denied) access to health care in India. Internal Migration in India Initiative- National Workshop on Internal Migration and Human Development in India (Workshop Report). New Delhi: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000218787.
  4. Carballo, M. & Mboup, M. (2005). International migration and health. Global Commission on International Migration (GCIM). https://www.iom.int/global-commission-international-migration.
  5. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. (2018). Annual Report 2017-18. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/162151111.pdf.
  6. Charles, L. (2011). Health Status and Health Care System among the Fisher Folk in Kerala (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Mahatma Gandhi University.
  7. de Haas, H. (2021). A theory of migration: the aspirations-capabilities framework. Comparative Migration Studies, 9(8). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-020-00210-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-020-00210-4
  8. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries, Government. of India. (2010). Marine Fisheries Census 2010-Kerala. http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/9004/1/Ker_report_full.pdf.
  9. Department of Fisheries, Government of India. (2016). Marine Fisheries Census 2016 India. https://www.indiaspend.com/uploads/2021/10/14/Marine_Fisheries_Census_I NDIA_2016.pdf.
  10. Department of Town and Country Planning, Government of Kerala. (2010). Development Plan for Kochi City Region 2031. https://kochimetro.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Vol1_StudyAnalysis.pdf.
  11. Directorate of Fisheries, Government of Kerala. (2015). Kerala Marine Fisheries Statistics. http://www.fisheries.kerala.gov.in/sites/default/files/2018-08/marine_2015.pdf.
  12. Grimsmo-Powney, H., Harris, E. C., Reading, I.& Coggon, D. (2011). Occupational health needs of commercial fishermen in South West England. Occupational Medicine, 60(1), 49-53. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqp137. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp137
  13. Harris, J. R.& Todaro, M. P. (1970). Migration, Unemployment & Developmnent : A Two-Sector Analysis. American Economic Review, 60(1), 126-142. https://www.aeaweb.org/aer/top20/60.1.126-142.pdf. Insert DOI
  14. Hayman, J., Anderson, D. & Lamm, F. (2010). Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand Fishing Industry: Preliminary Finding of the Key Issues. Labour, Employment and Work in New Zealand, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.26686/lew.v0i0.1678. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26686/lew.v0i0.1678
  15. Hong, Y., Li, X., Stanton, B., Lin, D., Fang, X., Rong, M.& Wang, J. (2006). Too Costly To Be Ill: Healthcare Access and Health-Seeking Behaviours among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China. World Health & Population, 8(2), 22-34. doi: 10.12927/whp.2006.18280. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12927/whp.2006.18280
  16. Kumar, N. A. (2011). Vulnerability of Migrants and Responsiveness of the State : The Case of Unskilled Migrant Workers in Kerala, India. Centre for Socio-Economic & Environmental Studies. http://csesindia.org/admin/modules/cms/docs/publication/29.pdf.
  17. Labour and Skill Department, Government of Kerala. (2022). Kerala Gazette Ordinary. www.lc.kerala.gov.in/index.php/government-orders.
  18. Matheson, C., Morrison, S., Murphy, E., Lawrie, T., Ritchie, L.& Bond, C. (2001). The Health of Fishermen in the Catching Sector of the Fishing Industry : A Gap Analysis. Occupational Medicine, 51(5), 305-311. doi: 10.1093/occmed/51.5.305. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/51.5.305
  19. Peter, B., Sanghvi, S. & Narendran, V. (2020). Inclusion of Interstate Migrant Workers in Kerala and Lessons for India. The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 63(4), 1065-1086. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00292-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-020-00292-9
  20. Rajan, J.B. (2002). Labour Mobility in the Small-scale Fisheries Sector of Kerala. Centre for Development Studies. http://www.cds.ac.in/krpcds/publication/downloads/w44.pdf.
  21. Rajan, S.I. & James, K.S. (2007). Demographic transition and economic development in Kerala: The role of emigration. South Asia Network of Economic Research Initiatives. http://saneinetwork.net/Files/3.pdf.
  22. Rao, N., Narain, N., Chakraborty, S., Bhanjdeo, A.& Pattnaik, A. (2020). Destinations Matter: Social Policy and Migrant Workers in the Times of Covid. The European Journal of Development Research, 32(5), 1639-1661. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00326-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-020-00326-4
  23. Registrar General of India. (2011). Mumbai City Population 2023. http://www.census2011.co.in/census/city/365- mumbai.html.
  24. Saikia, D. (2015). Migrant Workers in Kerala: A Study on their Socio-Economic Conditions. Journal of Economic and Social Development, 11(2), 29-43. https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/id/eprint/68462.
  25. Salim, S.S., Rahman, R., Pushkaran, K.N., Nashad, M. & Soma, S. (2015). Fish Marketing - A Market Structure Analysis of Kozhikode and Alappuzha districts. Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/10623/1/223-224-4.pdf.
  26. Sarkar, K. & Sekar, H.K. (2020). Migrant wokers and their chilldren in Kerala continue to face crippling problems. Eleventh Coloum. https://www.eleventhcolumn.com/2020/08/21/migrant-workers-and-their-children-in-kerala-continue-to-face-crippling-problems/.
  27. Saviour, F. (2018). A Study on Working Condition of Unskilled Migrant Laborers in Kerala with Special Reference to Ernakulam District. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research, 8(3), 42-45. doi: 10.31033/ijemr.8.3.4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.8.3.4
  28. Shi, X., Zong, D., Lu, Z., Li, S. & Kong, F. (2022). Effects of Childcare Disagreement with Children, Social Support, and Health Status on Unmet Healthcare-Seeking Behavior among The Migrant Older with Children to Jinan, China. Front. Public Health, 10(957619). doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.957619. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.957619
  29. Togioka, B.M., Duvivier, D. & Young, E. (2024). Diversity and Discrimination in Healthcare. StatPearls Publishing LLC.
  30. Zacharias, S. & Vinil, K. V. (2018). The Human Rights Issues Related to Right to Education of the Children of Migrant Labourers in Kerala. National Human Rights Commission. https://nhrc.nic.in/sites/default/files/NHRC%20Project%20Report-Right%20to%20education%20of%20Children%20of%20Migrant%20labourers%20in%20Kerala.pdf.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.