India, Aug. 7 -- A total of 469 fishermen died and 160 others went missing off the Kerala coast over the past 11 years, according to data released by the state Fisheries Department on Friday, as protests mounted over the recent disappearance of two fishermen.

The figures, released by Fisheries Minister V E Abdul Gafoor's office, showed that authorities conducted 23,000 coastal patrols and 5,072 sea rescue missions between 2015-16 and 2025-26, rescuing 47,773 fishermen.

The highest number of deaths was recorded in 2017-18, when 79 fishermen died. The toll stood at 55 in 2025-26 and 54 in 2023-24. The highest number of missing fishermen in a single year was 29 in 2017-18, while 26 were reported missing in both 2016-17 and 2021-22.

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