പുത്തൻ വലക്കാരേ പുന്നപ്പറക്കാറേ Puthan valakkaare, punnapparakkaare
പുറക്കാട്ട് കടപ്പുറത്ത്. purakkaattu kadappurathu
ചാകര ചാകര ചാകരാ… chaakara chaakara chaakara…
ഇടവപ്പാതിക്കോളു കഴിഞ്ഞ് Idavapaathi kolu kazhinju
കടലിന്നക്കരെ മാനം തെളിഞ്ഞ് Kadalinakkare maanam thelinju
കൊതിച്ച് കൊതിച്ച് കൊതിച്ചിരുന്ന Kothichu kothichu kothichirunna
ചാകര ചാകര ചാകരാ… chaakara chaakara chaakara…
Rough Translation
Oh new netters of Punnapra
On Purakkad beach,
There is chaakara… chaakara… chaakara…
When the sky is clearing across the sea and with the onset of the South West monsoon,
There is chaakara… chaakara… chaakara…
That we have been craving… craving… craving…
Refer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv2Vs5fMqBY
Thus begins the famous song in the movie Chemmeen (translated to Prawns), a Malayalam language romance film based on the novel of the same name written by the legendary writer, Thakazhi Sivashankara Pillai. The whole song is focussed on chaakara and captures the elation that the fisherfolk have when there is a Chaakara.
Chaakara is a unique marine phenomenon that occurs during the mudbank formation, which is the natural accumulation of fine sediment, mainly mud in shallow coastal and estuarine areas. Thanks to the many rivers in Kerala which flow into the estuaries and Arabian Sea, the mudbanks are formed by deposition of silt, clay and organic sediments near the coast. This phenomenon occurs during the South West monsoon (idavapathi as mentioned in the song, between June and October) season in Kerala between the coastal districts of Kollam and Kannur. This phenomenon is also reported to happen along other states on the West coast of India as well as in South America. Ayala/Matthi¹ , Chaala² , Kozhuva³ and Chemmeen⁴ are the common species which aggregate during chaakara. Though the reason for this phenomenon is still debatable, it is perceived that chaakara occur when the fishes of a particular species throng to shallow areas either due to the increase in the availability of food or due to a lack of dissolved oxygen beneath. This thus helps the fishers to catch plentiful fish from shallow areas near the sea shores and mudbanks. Fishers say they have observed very high variability in the fish species each day when this phenomenon happens. “If sardine shoals are observed one day, the following day it may be anchovy shoal or there may not be any shoal at all”. According to recent studies, this indicates that shoals of different species are moving and they accidentally reach the mudbank area (Kripa & Jeyabaskaran, 2017).
For some, the word chaakara is the combination of the words chaavu and kara, which translates to “dead shore” and represents the substantial fish caught on the sea shore, when this phenomenon occurs. Chaakara is also considered shanthakara (calm area) and traditionally fishers regard it as a ‘gift of God’ since they occur in relatively safer fishing areas and shallow, calm seas. Formation of mudbanks and subsequent chaakara becomes a boon for small-scale fishers to get an abundant catch with minimal effort in otherwise tough monsoon months with rough seas and when the operation of non-motorised country boats is impossible and dangerous. According to fishers, with the introduction of the motorised and mechanised fishing, the link between mudbanks, chaakara and the mudbank fish catch is becoming far and far less prominent. But since the chaakara mostly occurs when there is a ban on mechanised fishing⁵ during the South West monsoon, it continues to have significance even now. Since the mudbanks are a highly productive region with good fish landings during this period, the traditional artisanal fishers benefit largely from this seasonal abundance.
The abundant catch also results in a festive mood in the coastal villages and plays a significant role in the village economy, with many fishers able to clear off their debts with one good catch. The song from Chemmeen also captures this mood of the fishing villages as they rejoice with the arrival of a chaakara and the bounty from their sea mother brings hope to the communities.
Chaakara, vala nirayanu ponnayila… (Chaakara, The nets are full of mackerel…)
Chaakara, madi kilunganu ponnaliya…(Chaakara, oh man, my pockets are also full &
jingling.)
_______________________________________________________________________
¹Indian Mackerel
² Sardine
³ Indian Anchovy
⁴ Shrimp
⁵The Govt of Kerala has banned mechanized fishing during the South-West monsoon for 47 days for the sustainability of fish stocks since it is the breeding and spawning period for many fish species and since the sea will be rough to venture into fishing.
PC: Sanal K Kumar
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkXokqRhd1Y/?igsh=bnN2Z3IyNGp3Ym9o
References:
Workers of the sea, Susan Viswanathan, 2000
https://www.india-seminar.com/2000/485/485%20vishvanathan.htm
Mudbanks of Kerala – Their Formation & Characteristics, C.K. Gopinathan & S.Z. Qasim, 1974
https://nopr.niscpr.res.in/bitstream/123456789/39561/1/IJMS%203%282%29%20105-114.pdf
Mudbank regime off the Kerala coast during monsoon and non-monsoon seasons, Tatavarti, R; Narayana, A. C; Kumar, P. Manoj; Chand, Shyam. Academy Proceedings in Earth and Planetary Sciences; Bangalore Vol. 108, Iss. 1, (Mar 1999): 57-68. DOI:10.1007/BF02840825
https://www.proquest.com/docview/741000870?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals
Mudbanks and Fisheries Along the Kerala Coast – Myth and Reality, S. Prasanna Kumar, P.K. Dinesh Kumar K.R. Muraleedharan, Grinson George, August 2018. Current Science 115(4):773-778
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327252495_Mudbanks_and_Fisheries_Along_the_Kerala_Coast_-_Myth_and_Reality
Mud Bank Biology, V. Kripa. and R. Jeyabaskaran, 2017 Fishery Environment Management Division ICAR Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
https://eprints.cmfri.org.in/12782/1/Winter%20School%20on%20Structure%20and%20Fun
ctions%20of%20Ecosystem_44.pdf