This blog highlights my experience of visiting the fish harbour in Visakhapatnam. Read below and reflect with me on what I learned from this beautiful and memorable visit to the fish harbour in this wonderful port city in India.
Most of us love fishing, at least we are excited about the hobby or activity of fishing, but what if you have to keep fishing in distant waters for months – without your children, friends, and family? The feeling of finally reeling a fish is very enriching and gives us a sense of accomplishment. Therefore, fishing is fun on Sunday afternoons with an outdoor picnic planned with our loved ones. I believe fishing is not so exciting when we’re alone – just some other fishermen on board, surrounded by water everywhere with no sign of land in sight.
In my recent visit to Visakhapatnam in the southern state of India, Andhra Pradesh, I had a chance to visit the fish harbour in this beautiful port city. Accompanied by a friend, I stepped down of my car and was welcomed by sparkling and shimmering fishes lying all over the ground. At once, I remembered the poem I learned when I was in grade two in school and this poem started playing in my head as I walked past the fishes spread beautifully on the ground below.
“Little silver fishes
Darting to and fro,
I can see you shining
As you come and go.
In the bright cool water
Merrily you play,
That is very pleasant
On a sunny day.”
Reciting this poem five times on repeat mode in my head, I kept walking carefully. Never in my entire life so far had I seen such a huge number of fish and sea animals. I was awestruck. Though my nose had a difficult time adjusting to the smell of the sea and the fish, my eyes were constantly trying to soak in the sight of the natural jewels that lay in front of them.
Pictures @deeksha-sharma: Fish Harbour, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India, 2021
As a walked inside the harbour, I heard voices of the fisherwomen who were asking me if I would buy any of their fish. One fisherwoman said to me, “Amma, take a look at this beautiful fish. Take this for your dinner tonight”. I simply smiled, thanked her, and joined my hands to say that I’m a vegetarian and do not eat seafood.
I crafted a few poetic lines below to reflect my experience.
As fishing occurs typically out at sea, it’s easy to stay unaware of the problem. In simple words – out of sight, out of mind. However, the truth is that fishing impacts all of us.
I learnt some essential life lessons that I will share with you here:
1. Patience
The fishing harbour taught me that to bring in a huge number of fish on land, we need to be patient and keep working hard. A majority of us have access to smartphones and high-speed internet everywhere, but the fishermen lose contact with their loved ones for days and often months. All they can do is wait patiently to get back to the land they belong to – to get back home, a safe and warm feeling.
2. Not all days are alike
Life is unpredictable. You may find a thousand fish someday, while some days you’ll be forced to step out of the waters with just ten fish in hand. This experience teaches us how to accept the loss and move forward and keep trying.
3. Be grateful for the food on your plate
It is easy for you to buy the fish from the supermarket near your house – wonderfully organised shelves displaying a large variety of seafood for you to choose from. You simply walk out of your vehicle and enter the air-conditioned stores, buy what you like and come back home to enjoy dinner with your family. Do you pause for a while and wonder who must have entered the distant stormy seas and caught the fish you have on your plate? If not, think about it today!
4. Respect people, animals, and the environment
While the large-scale fishing industry causes environmental degradation and animal suffering, exploitation of people is also rampant. People living in poverty are lured into illegal fishing with false promises, and there is no going back once they’re onboard the fishing vessels. Many workers report how entire teams were enslaved and forced to work without wages. Abuse, beatings, very little sleep, and work until complete exhaustion is common on such vessels and ships. An international team of ecologists and economists predict that the world’s oceans will be empty of fish by 2048, owing to the disappearance of species due to overfishing, pollution, habitat loss, and climate change.
The fishing industry needs to learn to be aware of people and their human rights and the environment around them, and how to respect both.
5. Nature is beautiful – leave it beautiful for your children as well
Enjoying the beauty of nature is one of the best things to do in life. There are so many beautiful and interesting sights to soak in from nature. When I was leaving the fish harbour, I wondered if our future generations will get to see what I can witness today – clear water, plenty of fish, and fuel. Two words we need to choose over and again: sustainable development.
I’m grateful to have visited the fish harbour in Visakhapatnam often called the ‘Jewel of the East Coast’. My experiences teach me to have diverse perspectives on life and to be grateful for the little things we have in life. Visiting different places have the potential to make us more understanding, accommodating and compassionate towards one another.
I am building my life stories and listening to the stories of others. Why not step outside your house and see, hear and experience something different today?
If you think you have a similar story to share, please write back to us at: info@youinverse.org
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One thought on “5 Lessons I Learnt from My Visit to Fish Harbour in Visakhapatnam”
Your write-up is emotional. Nature is so beautiful. That’s why it is said that, “nature is our mother, and there is treasure in the ocean that gives us joy”.