Inland fishery sector in Rainfed
agriculture area:
Issue and opportunities
Neelkanth Mishra
RRA Network, New Delhi
23-24 Feb.2011
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
6
4.81
5
Percentage
5.34
5.33
4
4.87
4.70
3.37
3
2.17
2
1.46
1
(Source: DAHD&F, 2005; CSO, 2005)
20
04
-0
5
20
03
-0
4
20
02
-0
3
20
01
-0
2
20
00
-0
1
19
90
-9
1
19
80
-8
1
19
70
-7
1
0
Fish production in India :
Production in RRA priority State
(2008-09 in 000 Tn)
Indian State
Andhra pradesh
Bihar
Madhya pradesh
Maharastra
Odissa
Rajasthan
Chattishgarh
Jharkhand
Uttra pardesh
West bengal
2008-09
Total
1252.78
300.65
68.65
523
349
25
158
75.82
349
1510
4611.9
Inland Fishery Resources of India
Sl. No.
States/U
Ts
Total 35
state and
UT
The 10
rainfed agri
state holds
Rivers &
canals
(km)
1,95,210
Reservoir
s (million
ha)
Ponds &
Tanks
(million
ha)
2.916
2.407
1.54( 62%)
Source: Hand Book on Fisheries Statistics, 2005
Beels,
Oxbow
lakes &
Derelict
water
bodies
(million
ha)
0.797
Brackish
water
(million
ha)
1.24
Fish Seed Production
Year
1973-74
Production
(million fry)
1985-86
409
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
Process to be Adopted:
Enterprise and Market
State level Dialogue
Livelihood promotion
Regional level
Natural Resource development
District level Intervention
Community Mobilisation
Local Government/ Local leadership
Program Approach
Advocacy Approach
11
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 smallscale 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 smallscale 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