CHENNAI: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) commenced the National Marine Fisheries Census-2016 in maritime states and union territories of the country from Monday.
Inputs from this exercise would be analysed by scientists of CMFRI, a research organisation under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), to develop a comprehensive database on coastal fisher population. This database would be helpful in facilitating information on fisheries related plans and policies in the marine sector.
The census is for a duration of 30 days from Monday to March 1, with a total expenditure of Rs.3.38 cr, funded by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DAHDF) of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The exercise includes collecting information about marine fishermen families, fishing crafts and gears, social and educational profile and demographic features of marine fishing villages.
The census of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry is being coordinated by the Madras Research Centre of CMFRI, Chennai. About 700 trained enumerators would visit 3 lakh fishermen families spread across 591 marine fishing villages in 15 districts of TN to collect details pertaining to social, educational and fishing infrastructure aspects of marine fisher families.
In TN, the last census was conducted in 2010 covering 1.92 lakh marined fishermen households.