Governance for Inland fishery development in water Commons – Experience of DVTF

S.P.Madhan MohanTeam LeaderDHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation, Madurai, INDIA

Presented by

Madurai Symposium 2013 Tamukkam Ground

on 12.09.2013

Governance and Good Governance

The concept of "governance" is not new. It is as old as human civilization.

"governance" means: the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented

To distinguish the term governance from government: "governance" is what a "governing body" does

Governance Swaraj can mean generally self governance or

"self-rule", and was used synonymous with

"home-rule" by Mahatma Gandhi but the word

usually refers to Gandhi's concept for indian

Independence from foreign domination.

Swaraj lays stress on governance not by a

hierarchical government, but self governance

through individuals and community building

Good Governance Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted that

good governance is perhaps the single most important

factor in eradicating poverty and promoting

development”, stressing Value based good governance

and highlighting the importance of the common values

of fairness, equality, justice, liberty, and solidarity. Mr. Annan warns that "without actions based on these

values, the risk is that we will be driven further apart,

with increasing disparities in wealth and power both

between societies and within them, fuelling anger,

despair and intolerance."

Elements OF Governance

   Public private and communitiesPlanning

 

 

  Legislation policy

Regulation Control: decision making monitoring, policing,

enforcement and sanctioning

Institutions implementing authorities

Access to justice Transparency

Responsiveness Participation

Accountability

Dimensions and Principles of Governance

Governance on Water bodiesGovernance on water commons is not the new

one, done by our ancestors many more years. In India, the use of natural resources and their associated technologies and laws have their origin from very early period.

Fishing of natural stock in water commons is an old practice as fishing played major role in revenue making and added nutrition to rural community.

Decline of Water commonsdeclining in recent years. The major reason is being the centralization of

the tanks’ and ponds’ administration including fishery rights.

Such a move led the local communities to alienate from these important water resources & fishery and they restrained themselves from taking up collective efforts towards the betterment of tanks and ponds.

Status of Fishery in India

Global Position - 2nd in Aquaculture

due to large number of water bodies

available.

Tanks and Ponds - 2.35 million ha

Growth Of Aquaculture

aquaculture

DVTF’s Objective & Focus of community inland fisheries in water commns:

Bring back ownership on water commons among all users

Involving community organization in common activity and making full use of available water in rural common water resources by taking up fish rearing activity.

Providing additional income to community organisations to sustain through the maintenance of rural water ecosystems.

Providing protein rich food at their reach to offer additional nutrition to rural community

Employment generation for inland fishermen & Landless agriculture labours

Case study - SDTT-DHAN Water and Livelihood Security Project -Experience of Community Based Fish Rearing Activities in Yadgiri and Gurmitkal Blocks

Inference Fish rearing activity has been taken up in 25 tanks. Out of them

16 tanks are taken up the activity for the first time. Fastest growing Indian Carps like Common Carp, Catla, Rohu,

and Mrigal are reared in Tanks. From 16 tanks ,19300 Kgs of Fishes are harvested which valued

Rs 579000 To meet the nutritional requirement, around 50 % of the fishes

harvested are consumed by the local people paid less and remaining is marketed to nearby city Yadgiri.

Apart from this, it has demonstrated about Profitable fish rearing activity to the community.

It motivated the community, and Fish rearing activity is being taken up in 15 tanks with 100% people contribution.

Case study - SDTT-DHAN Water and Livelihood Security Project -Experience of Community Based Fish Rearing Activities in Yadgiri and Gurmitkal Blocks

Key Learning’s Tank Association members are exposed to experience the Fish rearing. They

felt that fish rearing is profitable and it will assist to meet nutritional requirement of the local people

There is competition for Fishery Rights for the tanks holding water for more than 5 months – Second leasing of fishery rights

Timely Getting good seeds is a challenging one. There is chance of poor quality seeds by the fish hatchery due to limited hatcheries

Poaching is a problematic .It needs to address at local level Fish Rearing is profitable in tanks where water stands for more than 4

months There may be conflict between Command area farmers and Tank Association

Executive body members regarding Sharing of water. Sometimes water will be used for crops in command area during reduced amount of rain fall which results in shortage of water for fish growth .

Case study - SDTT-DHAN Water and Livelihood Security Project -Experience of Community Based Fish Rearing Activities in Yadgiri and Gurmitkal Blocks

Key Learning’s Tank Association members are exposed to experience the Fish rearing. They

felt that fish rearing is profitable and it will assist to meet nutritional requirement of the local people

There is competition for Fishery Rights for the tanks holding water for more than 5 months – Second leasing of fishery rights

Timely Getting good seeds is a challenging one. There is chance of poor quality seeds by the fish hatchery due to limited hatcheries

Poaching is a problematic .It needs to address at local level Fish Rearing is profitable in tanks where water stands for more than 4

months There may be conflict between Command area farmers and Tank Association

Executive body members regarding Sharing of water. Sometimes water will be used for crops in command area during reduced amount of rain fall which results in shortage of water for fish growth .

Inland fishery development - Governance issues

1. Ownership on water commons among all stakeholders

2. Inland Fishery rights and revenue in water commons

3. Water usage management issue 4. Social issues- Poaching, poisoning5. Traditional Practices

Governance on water commons – DVTF approach

Social capital and fishery development in Water Commons

C&D of water commons with community participation and contribution

Creating Awareness on Fish rearing Skill building on Fish rearing Sustaining Community organizations Categorization of water bodies Creation of Dead storage or Fish pond in water

commons Phase Harvest and selling fishes within the village and

adding nutrition

Training and Exposure Visit to Leaders

Stocking of Fish seeds

Employment to Rural poor

harvest of a village tank in Villur, Madurai District

Partial Harvest of a village pond in a Tribal village, Mayurbhanj District, Orissa

Phase Harvest and selling of fishes

Partial harvest of a village pond and selling of fishes within the village, Vennervaikkal of Ramnad District

Dead StorageDEAD STORAGE - is a deeper storage area not useful for

irrigation in the water spread area of Tanks

photo

Gender and fishery

Partners in Action in developing Fishery Activity

8.5 20 12 5 14 2 10 1 1 1.4 2.5 45 20

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

FAO, TFSF HIVOS SDTT Oxfam Novib EU

Oxfam GB JSYS ITC HUL ITDP

APCBTMP OTELP AXIS Bankn

DVTF’s Reach

2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010 -11 2011-12 2012-130

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

TanksPonds

Success of fish Rearing

Particulars 2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010 -11

2011-12

2012-13

Success rate in %

62 71 62 73 68 58 46

Way Forward

To arrive at concrete road map to overcome governance issues

To evolve new ways of working and action plan for better governance and sustainability

To highlight , sound inland fish rearing traditional practices towards nutritional security

To evolve mechanisms and strategies to institutionalise inland fishery in small water bodies , formation of PPGs, PMGs and PCs exclusive for Fishery .

Thank You