PHOTOS: The precarious life of fisherfolk

Pavadairayan, 60, a migrant laborer known as a "basket man," carries fish in a basket on his head from boats to the auction house at Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in Chennai, India. Viraj Nayar hide caption toggle caption Viraj Nayar He works from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day. In pitch darkness, he carries baskets of fish on his head from boats in Kasimedu harbor to the auction house, navigating slimy and damp pathways littered with fish scales and wet with seawater. It's a third of a mile each way. He makes the trip 40 or 50 times during his shift for the daily auction, which begins at 4 a.m. Pavadairayan, who is 60 years old and goes by one name, is one of hundreds of workers known as basket men. It's a tough job. Each basket weighs about 35 pounds. Their bosses don't trust them: "If supervisors think that fish are missing, they can dock your pay and fine you several thousands of rupees. Basket men have few rights," he says. They earn about $5 a day. Despite the hardships, Pavadairayan says he loves the job because the rest of the day is his own. He spends his mornings sleeping and lounging. "Many other basket men go out and do other odd jobs," he says. "But I always refuse. This money ...