469 fishermen dead, 160 missing in 11 years off Kerala coast: Govt

A total of 469 fishermen died and 160 others went missing off the Kerala coast over the past 11 years, according to data released by the state Fisheries Department on Friday, as protests mounted over the recent disappearance of two fishermen.

The figures, released by Fisheries Minister V E Abdul Gafoor's office, showed that authorities conducted 23,000 coastal patrols and 5,072 sea rescue missions between 2015-16 and 2025-26, rescuing 47,773 fishermen.

The highest number of deaths was recorded in 2017-18, when 79 fishermen died. The toll stood at 55 in 2025-26 and 54 in 2023-24. The highest number of missing fishermen in a single year was 29 in 2017-18, while 26 were reported missing in both 2016-17 and 2021-22.

In 2025-26 alone, authorities carried out 2,107 patrols and 560 rescue operations, rescuing 6,556 fishermen. During the same period, 55 fishermen died and three were reported missing.

The data was released amid protests by coastal communities over the disappearance of two fishermen in separate incidents on July 31.

The Coastal Police on Friday intensified the search for 26-year-old Gautam Krishna, who went missing after a fishing boat capsized near Puthenthura in Kollam district. His father, Radhakrishnan, 48, and grandfather, Rajeevan, 74, died in the accident.

In a separate incident, the Vizhinjam Coastal Police continued searching for John, 54, who went missing after a boat mishap off the Thiruvananthapuram coast. His family recently protested outside the Vizhinjam Coastal Police Station, alleging that search efforts were inadequate.