The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), a national institute under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), on 29 September 2026 conducted a backwater cruise through the ecological landscape of Kerala's Vembanad lake, taking students, researchers, and conservation professionals across 15 islands, nearly century-old mangrove stands, and traditional Pokkali farming fields. The cruise was organised as part of the nationwide Swachhata Hi Seva 2026 campaign and timed to coincide with World Tourism Day.

The Route and What Participants Witnessed

The vessel departed from Marine Drive Jetty in Kochi and made its way to Kadamakkudy, passing through island clusters that are seldom seen on a standard tourist itinerary. The familiar open-water image of Vembanad quickly gave way to a layered landscape of inlets, vegetation corridors, and inhabited islands whose communities have long depended on the backwaters for their livelihoods.

At Korangot, participants came face to face with mangroves whose large trunks and interlocking root systems indicated decades — in some cases close to a century — of undisturbed growth. CMFRI scientists explained that these forests perform multiple ecological functions: they act as natural barriers against storm surges and coastal flooding, serve as breeding and nursery grounds for fish and aquatic organisms, and sequester carbon, helping buffer coastal ecosystems from the accelerating effects of climate change.

The Pokkali System: Farming and Fishing in One Field

At Pizhala, the cruise spotlighted the Pokkali farming system — a centuries-old practice shaped entirely by the changing salinity of the estuary. Salt-tolerant rice varieties are cultivated during one season; when the tide turns and salinity rises, the same fields convert to fish and prawn farming. Agriculture and aquaculture thus follow the natural rhythm of Vembanad, with no artificial inputs needed to switch between cycles. For many participants, witnessing this integration firsthand offered a sharper understanding than any classroom account could provide.

Pollution and Conservation Pressures

The cruise was not only observational. A clean-up drive along the backwaters drew direct attention to the presence of plastic waste and other pollutants threatening the fragile ecosystem. Onboard discussions covered wetland conservation, aquatic biodiversity, cage fish farming practices, and the sustainable management of natural resources. The Vembanad ecosystem, scientists noted, sustains island communities, traditional livelihoods, and cultural practices that have evolved around the water over generations — pressures on any one element ripple through the whole.

CMFRI's Fish Walk Initiative

CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George flagged off the cruise from Marine Drive Jetty. MLA Tony Chammany interacted with participants at the Kadamakkudy Pokkali fields. The cruise is part of CMFRI's broader Fish Walk programme, which takes scientific research out of laboratories and into the natural habitats under study. Dr Mirium Paul Sreeram, coordinator of the initiative, described its purpose: 'CMFRI's Fish Walk is designed as a series of innovative ways of exploring aquatic life and biodiversity, aimed at taking the message of conservation to a wider audience through engaging and experiential approaches.'

As climate pressures and urbanisation continue to encroach on India's coastal wetlands, initiatives that connect communities, policymakers, and researchers to these ecosystems in experiential ways may prove as important as any laboratory finding.