Fishing has existed since the Mesolithic period as a means of obtaining food. worldwide there are about 38 commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers.

Fishing is a major industry in coastal areas of India. the rich marine and inland water resources, fisheries and aquaculture of the country help employ over 14.5 million people. Fishing is a diverse industry all over India. India ranks number two in fish production all over the world. Deep sea fishing, freshwater fishing and aquaculture fish farming have show a rapid growth as an industry in India. Malpe is one such harbour where lots of fishing and other fishing related activities happen.

Karnataka has a 300 km long coast line stretching from Majali, Karwar in the north of Ullal, Mangalore in the south. Karnataka has a total of 144 fishing villages which consist of around 1.6-1.7 lakhs of fisher folk population. Fishing communities in India are not homogeneous as they belong to different castes and come from different coasts. These communities have their own distinct traditional practices and social, cultural governance structures which depend on the coast they inhabit. Karnataka also has other fishing communities belonging to many different castes. Mogers, Kharvis, Harikanthas, Gabits and Daljis are mainly found in Utara Karnataka Districts and Moghaveeras, Bhoirs, Bestas, Ambigas, Moples are found in Udupi and Dakshina Karnataka Districts.

Malpe is a natural port located about 6 km to the west of Udupi, Karnataka. Malpe is the largest port on the coast of Karnataka. Malpe is a hub of Moghaveera fishing community. Tulu, Kannada and Konkani are the languages spoken here. Fisheries acquire the largest portion of Malpe industries. At Malpe harbor there are two systems of selling the fish-

1.One based on the number of boxes the buyer is willing to buy and

2. the other via an auction that takes place et the harbor itself.

The prices of the fish depend on the demand and supply as it happens in any other market. Mackerels and Sardines have the most demand on the harbor as they are preferred by the middle class population, due to the reasonable cost. King fish, Pomfret, Prawns and exotic fish like Squid and Shark are among the other well-selling seafood.

Fishing in Malpe starts in August and lasts until May. Before August there is ban on fishing which is for conserving the fish population during the spawning season and also prevents the fishermen from venturing into rough waters and risking their lives. During this break or the ban, fishermen weave or repair nets in preparation for upcoming fishing. Fishermen do not sell directly to consumers but instead, they sell their catch to the commission agents, who buy it in bulk. These commission agents dispatch truckloads of fish to Kerala, parts of Maharashtra and Goa. Fishermen usually not is a position to take the risk due to the issues like perishable nature of the fish as its storage is a big problem. When fishermen are unfortunate enough to get a small catch they sell the catch personally in the market or the harbor. When these fishermen are in a need for loan about forty fishermen come together and pool in the margin money and buy the nets. They take a loan of about ₹3 lakh. These fishermen work as a team, on 3-4 trawlers so that they can collectively repay the bank loan. They share their profit as well as losses.

1. Usually, the transportation of the fish from the boat to the trucks and auction areas is done by women. The fish are packed in crates for transport. They carry these loads on their heads. But carrying the heavy loads regularly on the head can lead to the degeneration of Cervical Spine which then leads to neck and back pain.

2. Many women also work in the fish cleaning and cutting industries in Malpe. When we visited Malpe I saw that these women did not have a proper protective gear to wear on their hands. They wore cloth rags on their fingers and secured them at the end of each finger with rubber bands. Their reason behind wearing these cloth rags was that it gave a better grip over the slippery fish skin.

1. The intervention or design, a small non-powered transportation device aims at preventing fatigue, health issues and personal injury of the women carrying heavy loads from boat to truck and harbor market i.e. auction area.

2. This intervention or design is a wearable product for the women in the pre-retail stage which would ensure safety and make their job easy.

The aim of this intervention is to design, prototype and test a non-powered mobility device which will be an extension for the plastic crates that are presently in use at the Malpe fishing harbor. The purpose of this mobility device is to increase the efficiency and prevent the fatigue and long term health issues of the harbor crew carrying heavy loads on specific routes within this area.