India, Nov. 25 -- Along Kerala's coastline, from fish landing centres at Neendakara to Ponnani, an unease has begun to spread. The air in the harbours is heavy not with the smell of drying fish but with anxiety. A new government policy, promising to "modernise" India's marine fisheries, has rekindled old fears among small-scale fishers who live by the sea's mercy.

The Union government's new deep-sea fishing rules have cleared the way for larger mechanised vessels, equipped with high-powered lights and advanced gear, to operate in Indian waters. Officials say this will boost exports, create jobs, and integrate the country into the global blue economy. But for Kerala's fishing villages, the promise of progress sounds more like a warning be...