CHENNAI: In wake of the pandemic and its impact on fisheries, researchers from Madras Institute of Developmental Studies have pointed that resilience can be built in the sector, if it is treated as important as agriculture. The State government, imposed a total ban on fisheries when India went into lockdown from March 24. Fisheries, unlike agriculture, was not considered an essential service.
Until mid-April, fishermen did not venture into the sea. The study by Ajit Menon and Maarten Bavinck looked into the cumulative impact of the pandemic and has proposed remedial and rehabilitation measures.
After repeated complaints from fishers and fish workers, the Government of India relaxed restrictions and issued model Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on April 10, to include marine fisheries and aquaculture, movement of fish and movement of workers along the fishery value chain and subsequently inland fisheries from April 15.
Despite these measures, the fisheries economy suffered as the trawl fishing ban was put into place from April 15- June 14.“The government’s relief package did not compensate for the average earnings of fishers and fish workers. Moreover, the usual support given by the Tamil Nadu Fishermen Welfare Board excluded the most vulnerable groups, such as women fish vendors,” the study pointed.
In order to build long term resilience, the Fisheries Department should set a minimum floor price for all species for the small-scale fisheries, based on market data, similar to the minimum support price for major crops, the study suggested adding that they can also provide collective support such as micro-credit, cold storage and building safe market infrastructure.