Eighty percent of the fisherfolk on the coast of Kochi in Kerala, India use motorised boats. But the fuel, maintenance and repair costs are cutting into the income of the community and contributing to a large amount of carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
Despite having the highest net operating income among the coastal states, Kerala also has the highest share of operating costs and the highest numbers of fishing families below the poverty line.
SF partner – Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) – also funded by FCDO, carried out a recent study which found that switching to solar-powered e-boats can solve several of these issues. Using solar-powered boats is cheaper, sustainable, better for the environment, and raises income.
The study found that there’s a huge 84% increase in the earnings of fisherfolk when they use solar-assisted e-boats.