Inland fishery sector in Rainfed agriculture area:

Issue and opportunities

Neelkanth Mishra 23-24 Feb.2011RRA Network, New Delhi

India’s fishery sector:• The fisheries sector is a source of livelihood to about

14.48 million people• The total fish production is about 7.16 million tn,

4.19 million tn from inland and 2.97 million tn from marine fisheries.

• In 11th V yr plan, Inland fishery sector is allocated 12% of total fishery sector budget and 4.25% of DAHD budget

• Total GDP from this sector alone- more than Rs. 35000 Cr, 5.4 % of Agri sector GDP

• 72% of workforce are women• Availability of quality fish seed is major issue.

Presently, availability is only 13086 Fry /Ha ; deficit of 87000 /Ha

Percentage share of fisheries sector in Indian agriculture

1.46

2.17

3.37

4.81 4.875.33 5.34

4.70

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1970

-71

1980

-81

1990

-91

2000

-01

2001

-02

2002

-03

2003

-04

2004

-05

Per

cen

tag

e

(Source: DAHD&F, 2005; CSO, 2005)

Fish production in India :

Production in RRA priority State (2008-09 in 000 Tn)

Indian State 2008-09Andhra pradesh 1252.78Bihar 300.65Madhya pradesh 68.65Maharastra 523Odissa 349Rajasthan 25Chattishgarh 158Jharkhand 75.82Uttra pardesh 349West bengal 1510

Total 4611.9

Inland Fishery Resources of India

Sl. No.States/

UTs

Rivers & canals (km)

Reservoirs

(million ha)

Ponds & Tanks

(million ha)

Beels, Oxbow lakes & Derelict water bodies (million

ha)

Brackish water

(million ha)

Total 35 state and UT

1,95,210 2.916 2.407 0.797 1.24

The 10 rainfed agri state holds

1.54( 62%)

Source: Hand Book on Fisheries Statistics, 2005

Fish Seed ProductionYear Production

(million fry)

1973-74 409 1985-86 6,322

1990-91 10,332

1995-96 15,007

2000-01 15,608

2004-05 20,811

2008-09(p) 31497

* Presently, availability is 13086 Fry /Ha ; deficit of 87000 /Ha

Central Budget priorities for fishery sector

Scheme 11th plan BE 2007-08 BE 2008-09

Total DAHD 8174 910 1000

Total Fishery( CSS & CS)

2776 205.68 215

Total CS 1946 146.3 133

Total CSS 830 59.38 82

Inland fishery 350 9 12

Major issue : Inland fishery in Rainfed agriculture area

• Access and control of traditional fishing community over production system

• Access to technical support and regular capacity building to the fisher folk

• Access to quality inputs in time to the communities like fingerlings, feed, etc

• Access to basic infrastructure – such as Ice plants, cold storage facilities, market place, Vehicles for transport, landing centres, etc.

• Involvement of women in the decision making process• Climate change and community preparedness to adopt

the adverse situations /impacts through heavy rains/drought situations

• How to improve the productivity and sustain it ??? • Accurate Data on resource, people and production• No policy priority( at National level and State level)• In sufficient budget availability and sector finance

Opportunities • Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,

Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharastra, Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan are mostly depending on Inland fisheries sector .

• This sector has potential to create livelihood and employment to more than 30 million people in the country. (thru’ value chain dev.)

• Mostly unexplored area, closely associated with agri based production system

• This sector has potential to develop community resilience due to climate change

• Through MGNREGS the ponds, tanks and other water bodies can be developed for several activities like irrigation, to improve ground water level and fisheries.

• Convergence with National Livelihood Mission

Program Approach

Enterprise and Market

Livelihood promotion

Natural Resource development

Community Mobilisation

State level Dialogue

Regional level

District level Intervention

Local Government/ Local leadership

11

Advocacy Approach

Process to be Adopted:Process to be Adopted:

Major stakeholder to be included:• Households and fishing communities• Fishworker organizations• Research organizations• The State• Civil society organizations (including

NGOs, media, consumers and environmental organizations)

• International organizations

Best practices• Fish seed rearing pilot with communities in Maharstra (Satara)

• Fish seed rearing, institution building, Rights over the resources, policy support (MP fisheries policy) and linkages, capacity building , productivity enhancement - Experiences of VIKALP, Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh

• Convergence with several departments like Fisheries department, NFDB, NABARD, SERP, NGOs, CBOs, Tribal welfare department, MGNREGS -Rural development department for inland fisheries development, Institution building, Establishing Fisheries Resource Centres (FRCs) , access to quality inputs, local marketing, developing infrastructure, community based management practices and linkages, capacity building , productivity enhancement - Experiences of WASSAN in APDAI project ( A project funded by World bank) in Andhra Pradesh

• Quality fish Seed production, fish seed rearing, technical support, capacity building , productivity enhancement - Experiences of GNNS-KVK in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh

• Women fisherfolks organisation , (Odissa and Bihar)

• Private hatchery operators in Haryana and Panjab

• One aqua shop in Jharkhand

• Japan banks investment in Aasam and Arunachal pradesh

Recommendations • Government of India have to come out with a “ National Inland Fisheries Policy”

to provide support and strengthen inland fisheries sector and also suggest the states to state specific policies for Inland fisheries.

• Convergence with MGNREGS project for fisheries focused on tank development ( creating dead storage, bund strengthening, repairs etc)

• Establish “Fisheries Resource Centres” (FRCs) in Rainfed areas to provide technical support in the Inland fisheries sector

• Budget allocation for strengthening of existing institutions of fisher folk from the state and central budgets

• Facilitate National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) to work with NGOs and other civil society organizations to strengthen Inland fisheries sector

• Make necessary changes in the existing policies to make women as members in the existing cooperatives & new bodies

• Make necessary budget allocation to access quality inputs to the communities like fingerlings, feed, etc

• Facilitate market development- Make necessary budget allocation to improve basic infrastructure – such as landing centers, Ice plants, market place, Vehicles for transport etc.

• Design, develop and support innovative approaches/programs to support landless, small and marginal farmers related to fisheries

• As in the Madhya Pradesh policy, the traditional fishing communities and their cooperatives to be given all priority for leasing and licensing in inland capture and culture fisheries.

• Increase lease period of water bodies for culture to 10 years as in Madhya Pradesh so that the lease holders feel more responsible to maintain the resources sustainably.

• Measures to be taken to ensure to symmetrically collect and mange inland fish production data, including capture and culture of all species. This will help take better policy decisions.

• Genuine inland fisher cooperative societies to be promoted, strengthened and necessary financial support given for taking up culture and capture fisheries.

Policy intervention should aim at:• Guarantee access and control related rights of small-

scale and indigenous fishing communities for their life and livelihood

• Recognize, promote and protect the diversified livelihood base of fishing communities

• Seek the free, prior and informed consent of small-scale fishing communities and indigenous peoples before undertaking activities that may affect their lives and livelihoods

• Provide support to capacity-building of fishing and indigenous communities to participate in governance of coastal and fisheries resources

• Women role in inland fisheries and fish marketing to be recognised and to insist 33% membership of women in newly formed cooperatives.

• Create an enabling situation and promote fisheries co management in capture and capture cum culture fisheries.

• Increase budgetary allocation for inland fishery program, and fishery dept should be made independent of cooperative and other dept. periphery.

• Proper market development support, financial support and value chain development support needs to be provided.

• More research and extension work on small and indigenous species(SIS) culture and its role in nutrition livelihoods to be strengthened including its auto stocking possibility of hatchery production.

Thank You