Between 29 November and 3 December, 2017, Cyclone Ockhi devastated hundreds of lives and livelihoods of coastal fishing communities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India. This study assesses the impacts of the cyclone on fishing communities and the mechanisms in place at the local, national and international levels to address disaster risks and sea safety in small-scale fisheries, using a human rights-based approach.In line with the Sendai Framework 2015-2030 and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries, the study recommends applying “relief-development continuum” and “build back better” concepts to the management of disaster risks in order to save lives and to reduce damage to fisheries assets and livelihoods.