India, Aug. 23 -- Whether it's the shikaras traversing the calm backwaters of Alleppey (Alappuzha), carrying tourists past the coconut groves and quaint fishing villages, or ferries enabling daily commute between townships, or the fishing rafts braving the rough waters of the Arabian Sea to bring food and livelihood, boats are an inseparable part of hustle and leisure in Kerala.

Even as these vessels are woven into the very fabric of life in this southern state, what is hardly talked about is the spiralling cost of running them.

At a time when exports to the US present fresh challenges, Kerala fishermen are battling the changing dynamics of geopolitics and climate change on one hand and the increasing cost of fuel on the other.

The imp...