KARWAR: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) will begin a month-long National Marine Fisheries Census - 2016 on February 1 in all maritime states, including Karnataka and two Union Territories, stated a release from the CMFRI, Karwar.
The CMFRI is a research body under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR-CMFRI). The island regions of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep will be enumerated under the supervision of Fishery Survey of India. The marine fisheries census is being taken up at a total expenditure of `3.8 crore.
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 last census was conducted in 2010. This exercise, funded by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries (DAHDF) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is being coordinated by the staff of the ICAR-CMFRI located along the country’s coast.
The enumerators will be given schedules, translated into eight regional languages, to collect information on household with specific fishing occupation particulars. Another set of schedules have been devised for information on infrastructure facilities in fishing villages in various coastal districts.
The data will be analysed by the scientists to develop a comprehensive census database, which will be helpful in facilitating formulation of fisheries related plans and policies.
Fact file
Δ About 3,000 enumerators trained by the ICAR-CMFRI officials will visit 11 lakh fishermen families spread across 4,250 marine fishing villages located in 73 districts to collect the details.
Δ The entire process will be monitored and supervised by around 220 officials of ICAR-CMFRI posted at the 26 centres