Abstract
A significant proportion of the fishing population comprises small-scale fishermen and many studies illustrate that these people are exploited by middlemen in the process of fish marketing combined with money lending. The negative dependency gives rise to poverty and triggers indiscriminate fish catch that threatens fishery resources depletion. This article explores the root causes of failures in resource-led development from the viewpoint of coastal resource conservation. The study presents a case study of Chilika lagoon, India and focuses on the interaction between small-scale fishermen and middlemen. The findings reveal that most of the small-scale fishermen have been exploited by specific middlemen and the underlying causes of the present fish marketing structure stem from (i) indebtedness and (ii) the unstable situation because of perpetual conflicts over fishery resources among the fishers across Chilika lagoon. Based on these observations, this article presents some recommendations on fishery resource conservation from the perspective of a fish marketing structure.
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Notes
During 2005, 1 USD was approximately equal to 45.85 INR
The term Zamindar is an official in British colonial India assigned to collect land taxes in his district.
An exchange rate of US$1 = INR 39.25 is used.
In the outer channel, fishing grounds were close to the villages because of the productive and eco-sensitive nature of this area in Chilika lagoon so they can monitor encroachments from their villages.
The most challenging point against resource-led conflicts is the fishery lease allocation managed by the governments. In 1991, a guideline officially allowed non-fishermen as well as fishermen to grant fishing rights, resulting in perpetual conflicts over the possession of fishing rights between fishermen and non-fishermen. The insecurity increased the necessity of ensuring their fishing grounds from encroachments by non-fishermen. The issue will be discussed at length by the authors elsewhere.
Abbreviations
- SIFFS:
-
South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies
- CDA:
-
Chilika Development Authority
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the support of JSPS/MEXT grant on Case Station and Field Campus. IS is extremely thankful to Dr. Ajit Kumar Pattnaik, Ex-Chief Executive Officer, CDA, India and Mr. Durga Prasad. Dash, Secretary, Pallishree (a local NGO in Orissa state) for the wholehearted support that they offered.
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Iwasaki, S., Shaw, R. Fishery resource management in Chilika lagoon: a study on coastal conservation in the Eastern Coast of India. J Coast Conserv 12, 43–52 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-008-0022-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-008-0022-y