In 1981, food and agricultural organisation invited WWF to start a programme for fisherwomen in one of the coastal moufisil town of Tanjore - Adiramapattinam. The fisherwomen playing a crucial role in the fishing economy not only established a banking centre there but also fought for their rights to repair fishing canals, fish auction, transportation rights etc. Today, WWF has 23545 members in 357 villages in this branch.