Vembanad Conservation Program

2007

This report sheds light on the diversity of approaches adopted by the various project partners, along with lessons learned during the Community Based Fisheries Management Project (CBFM-2). CBFM 2 was the second phase of an action research project designed to establish whether the sustainable management of publicly owned and private water bodies can be carried out by community groups consisting largely of poor fishers. The first phase implemented by the Department of Fisheries, with the assistance of the WorldFish Center and supported by the Ford Foundation, demonstrated that the approach was possible in a limited number of water bodies. The second phase, with assistance from the DFID-UK, involved a much greater range of water bodies (target 120, final number 116) with a range of partners -- the Department of Fisheries (DoF), the implementing NGOs, Banchte Shekha, BRAC, CARITAS, CNRS, CRED, GHARONI, Proshika, SDC, SHISUK, and the specialist NGOs, BELA for legal assistance and FemCom ...

… Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade …, 2000

Abstract: A partnership project of the Bangladesh Department of Fisheries, five NGOs and ICLARM has introduced community management of inland fisheries in Bangladesh. Management arrangements and outcomes are compared in four waterbodies with different property rights. In the ...

Natural Resources Forum, 2007

This article attempts to analyse the social interface between formal institutions and local fishing communities along the Pamba-Achankovil River Basin in Kerala, India. It examines primarily the nature of the relationship between state agencies and traditional fishing communities in the context of (i) enforcing certain formal regulations of resource use and (ii) implementing resource enhancement programmes. The article also analyses the nature of social interfaces that emerge when local level formal organizations, such as cooperatives and gram panchayats, take up resource management or community welfare schemes on behalf of the traditional fisherfolk in the study region. Social interfaces can be understood in terms of social processes, such as cooperation, accommodation and conflicts between various actors involved in fisheries management. The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork. Interview guides and focus group discussions were the primary tools of data collection. The findings show that the relationships between formal institutions and traditional riverine fishing communities lack mutual trust. Conflicts between fishing communities and state agencies emerge when the formal institutions threaten or contradict those elements of local culture that sustain livelihood needs. Conflicts and discontent with a particular formal institution can also lead to the modification or violation of coexisting institutional arrangements.

2017

Through discussions of plural identities, diverse economies and multiple legal systems, this work seeks to challenge the bounds of commons thinking, pushing past static understandings of people, social networks, the environment and resources. Principles created by Elinor Ostrom and colleagues have largely defined the commons management discourse, but my work follows that of St Martin, McCay and Jentoft in realizing the limits to a systems approach to commons research. The commons institution that I study does not fit Ostrom's criteria, and therefore could be assumed to be a failure, except that I have found evidence of key outcomes of successful commons institutions. These include management based on goals of social equity and ecological sustainability, as well as clear examples of the existence of community. Understanding this so-called 'anomalous' institution as successful requires a reexamination of commons theory. Thus my work uses post structural thinking, ii influenced by Jean-Luc Nancy and JK Gibson-Graham, to develop a more grounded theory approach to understanding commons management. My research is based on the case of marine fisheries across two districts of the state of Maharashtra in India. Mismanagement of Indian fisheries could have ripple effects on global seafood availability because India, along with China, contributes 50% of the world's seafood exports to Europe and the United States. Several studies have called for greater state intervention in fisheries (e.g Devaraj and Vivekanandan, 1999), although state fisheries legislation is plagued by large gaps in enforcement and lack of compliance . My PhD research describes a alternate solution, by finding evidence of continuing fisheries management by non state actors. I examine the emergence of commons through fishing issues and conflicts that prompted village discussions and rule-making. I ask how and why people participate in these associations, and whether there is evidence, in these associations, of the type of ethical relationships that could be called community. I probe people's motivation to participate in these communities despite economic and political pressure to follow individualistic, neoliberal practices. In particular I focus on the creation of 'traditional fishermen', a term that is used by fishermen to signify a particular ethical formation that comes into being through practices unrelated to the technology that they use to fish, and to class or caste. I find that successful commons management can exist in culturally heterogeneous, market-linked, technologically advanced societies, which are typically assumed to operate using the logic of neoliberal economics. I identify processes of territoriality, group and consensus based decision making, social iii dependence and ostracism as some of the key processes that allow commons and community to come into being. The degree of sophistication and independence from state law with which these institutions operate allows them to be thought of as alternate legal systems. This allows decision making within the local context, in the local language with locally effective punishment, such as social ostracism. From the perspective of government authorities, allowing local bodies to deal with conflicts reduces the requirement of authorities' intervention in issues that often cannot be officially heard due to a lack of appropriate state laws. Thus the continued existence of alternate legal systems is seen as a win-win from both perspectives. Finally, I study challenges to commons management in the form of class distinctions within the fishing community. iv DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to: My late grandmothers Ahalya Nadkarni and Krishnabai Karnad v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This PhD would not have been possible without the support of a large community, both in India and the United States. I am deeply indebted to my advisors, Kevin St. Martin and Bonnie McCay, for constantly facilitating my academic growth, even as they gave me the freedom to pursue my interests, whether academic or not. They have spared time to help me meet last minute deadlines, read and provided feedback on numerous drafts, and written many recommendation letters. Through his patience and kindness, Kevin has helped me overcome my initial resistance to social theory and opened my eyes to post structural thought. Bonnie has taught by example, how to navigate various obstacles, whether in academic or personal life, in order to achieve my goals. I couldn't ask for better role models. I would also like to thank Richard Schroeder for his awe-inspiring teaching that helped me make the mental switch from ecologist to geographer. Maarten Bavinck, my external committee member, has provided unending encouragement. From identifying networking opportunities to visiting me in person, while in India, his support, and knowledge of the local issues specific to my field site have greatly enriched my dissertation. Laura Schneider, as a committee member and graduate director, enhanced my PhD journey by reminding me of my ecological roots, and steering me towards opportunities. I would also like to acknowledge the crucial and timely help of Trevor Birkenholtz and Asher Ghertner.

The distinctive features of fisheries resources, fishers and their geographic contexts, on the one hand, and broad stylized features of the existing lacklustre performance of this sector, on the other, call for specialized and sustained efforts to promote livelihood of usually poor, backward and unorganized fisher communities, which are nevertheless and often the most intimate stakeholder of this sector and its underlying resources. To develop a perspective on intervention strategies for livelihood promotion of most intimate stakeholders -that is, the fisher folk, in a sustainable manner, this paper uses clues from recent economic theories and management tools on property rights, Coase Theorem, stakeholder cooperation and publicprivate-community partnership in an effort towards resolving the multi-dimensional problems of this sector. It stratifies and brings out the pros and cons of the existing fishing efforts into four categories of models -the traditional marketing model, state-led models of livelihood promotion and fisheries development (including cases of para-statal cooperatives), entrepreneur or leader-driven models, and technology-driven models, through selected illustrations from different parts of the country and covering both marine and inland (including brackish water) segments of fisheries. The paper, after identifying the major ingredients for sustainable livelihood development around fisheries, finally articulates Dr. APJ Kalam's concept of PURA to recommend a rural entrepreneur-led hybrid model of fisheries development to solicit sustainable and growth oriented cooperation among the suppliers of land (i.e., stakeholders to fishery resources, which are available through Nature), labor (including fishers) and capital (including professionals). The ultimate goal of this paper is to derive inspiration from Coase Theorem and the Japanese model of Keiretsu to empower the producers and suppliers of fish -namely, the fisher folk and to place them at the centre stage of control of rural entrepreneur-led private organizations, wherein the fisher community will not be deemed as mere consumers or vendors of fish, but will enter as dignified co-producer partners with significant shares in residual claim and residual control in those organizations.

The study was undertaken from April to September, 2016 to reveal the existing fish species, gear and crafts use by local fisher's communities and the causes of biodiversity degradation of Andharmanik river, Patukhali district. A step wise validated questionnaire was used for data recording. In total 38 fish species were arranged to ten order, which have the maximum occurrence from Siluriformes-12, then Perciformes-9, Cypriniformes-6, Clupeiformes-4, Mugiliformes-2, whereas Aulopiformes, Beloniformes, Pleuronectiformes, Scorpaeniformes, Synbranchiformes were single fish species. Among all of the species 69 percent species are Least Concern (LC), 8 percent fish species are endangered (EN) and near threatened (NT), whereas 5 percent fish species were not evaluated (NE) or having dada deficiency (DD) and or Vulnerable (VU). Noted that a total 21 types of fishing gear under 9 group where maximum using frequency is mono-filamentous synthetic Gill net-6, Fixed purse net-4, Seine net -3, Drag/Push and Traps -2 and minimal operate the Cast net, Dip net and lift, Hooks and lines and Wounding gears-1. Most of the fishermen (60%) operate the mechanized fishing craft whereas as 40 percent of the non-mechanized fishing craft is existing in this areas. Due to use of small mesh-sized mono-filamentous synthetic current jal, Ghopajal, Bendi-jal, Net/Mosharijal, Lotorjal, Gultijal, Kona jal etc., at breeding and nursery ground in the river is now in alarming situation, whereas political violence, pollution, siltation, violence of fisheries rules and regulation, weak monitoring system and inappropriate planning and implementation of the relevant Govt. department. Thus, public awareness and adequate knowledge on use of appropriate fishing gear with appropriate mesh size could contribute to sustainable fisheries diversity in the river and the improvement in livelihood of the fishermen in the adjacent area. Collaborative work among GOs and NGOs, establish Gender Based Institution (Awareness Learning Center) for ID card holder fishermen, develop central education curriculum at stage 1-10, banning destructive fishing gears, monitoring on net producing companies, impose VAT and Income Tax on fish harvesting and minimize the malpractice among Business Intermediary Organization (BIO)/Aratdar who indirectly collect the VAT and Tax form poor fishermen.

Development and Change, 1989

Journal of Survey in Fisheries Sciences, 2021

River fisheries are critical to ensure the sustainable provision of quality food and nutrition as well as economic stability of the millions of local populations in developing nations. The Fakirni River is home to a diversity of fish species. Here, we present the status and seasonal abundance of fish species in the Fakirni River and their impact on the fishermen's livelihood compared to other small rivers in Bangladesh. Monthly sampling was carried out using a lift net, and a total of 26 fish species belonging to 18 genera, ten families, and six orders were recorded during 12 months. The Shannon-Weiner diversity, species richness, evenness index, dominance, Simpson index, Brillouin index, equitability, and Berger-Parker indices provided 1.61±0.47, 1.93±0.53, 0.52±0.41, 0.29±0.17, 0.70±0.17, 1.47±0.41, 0.68±0.17, and 0.42±0.18, respectively. The Bray-Curtis similarity cluster analysis was performed among the diversity indices and observed three available fish species. Almost all the fishermen (91%) were Muslim of age 38.67±15.05 years and possessed fishing experience for 19.94±15.42 years, with a monthly income of BDT 4166.67±1331.85. The fishermen community neither received any training nor involvement with the NGOs or other organizations to get any financial support or loans. In conclusion, despite significantly vulnerable contexts of the community-based fisheries management system and inadequate resources, fishing's livelihood outcomes were positive. However, stringent measures must be taken to manage the river fisheries sustainably by the active involvement of the local fishermen communities.

2014

This paper sets out to explore fishers' perceptions of environmental change in coastal Cambodia and to then examine the role of local institutions in working with villagers to adapt to such challenges. The analysis shows that: (1) fishers observe species decline, irregular tides and a change in weather patterns; and (2) local institutions have been working to address some of these issues through a series of resource management and livelihood projects for over a decade. We note that local institutions are well placed to deal with certain types of environmental change projects, such as protecting small patches of mangrove trees or creating fish sanctuaries, along with less controversial, tourism-related projects. It is impossible, however, for local institutions to tackle bigger issues, such as over-fishing or large-scale resource extraction. Fishing villages are dealing with multiple challenges (environmental change and beyond), which may make fishing a less viable option for coastal villagers in the medium to long term. As such, key policy responses include acknowledging and building upon the work of local institutions, enhanced support for patrolling at national and provincial levels, developing response scenarios for coastal environmental change, involving local institutions in scientific monitoring and piloting projects that consider fishing and non-fishing livelihoods.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2019

The fish-based farming system occupies the edges of Africa's water bodies along coastlines, lakeshores and the floodplains of river systems and provides a diversified, flexible and resilient livelihood portfolio for some 22 million sub-Saharan fisher-farmers with half of those living in extreme poverty. The fisheries operations provide 30 to 50 per cent of household income. • System performance is under threat from land use changes that affect the quality, quantity and timing of the water supply, notably deforestation and the construction of dams upstream but also conversion to large-scale irrigation. On coasts overfishing is an issue. • Maintaining the drivers of ecosystem productivity and especially the natural flooding regime is crucial. Governance inspired by traditional systems with strong involvement of the users in all stages of planning and management will facilitate development trajectories that are adapted to local context, favouring incremental rather than wholesale change.