BHUBANESWAR: Destructive fishery practices have proved to be the bane of Chilika lagoon. Use of unscientific methods of fishing and nets which lead to decline in fishery resources by killing aquatic species and their spawning grounds have long been causes of concern for the conservationists.
However, the Fishery Resources Management Plan which the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) is preparing with technical assistance from JICA may actually address the critical issues.
Senior officials of the Forest and Environment Department and a six-member group of advisors from JICA who reviewed the technical cooperation project here too discussed the plan which is expected to go a long way in preserving Chilika’s aquatic diversity. Forest and Environment Secretary Upendra Behera chaired the meeting.
This is for the first time that a fishery resources management plan is being prepared for the brackish water lagoon. Besides eliminating the destructive practices of fishing through use of scientific techniques and equipment like nets, the plan stresses the need for improving livelihood sources.
‘‘Suggesting that the fisherfolks have to be involved in the plan also means that we need to devise alternative sources of livelihood for them. A number of institutions like CIFRI, Kolkata, CIFA, Bhubaneswar, Fishery Department and CDA are jointly working on this plan,’’ a senior officer said.
At the joint meeting, pilot projects being carried out in four villages of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri as part of the alternative livelihood opportunities through dairy, goatery, duckery and agriculture improvement practices. The objective of the projects is to reduce pressure on the fishery resources of Chilika. For this, sensitisation campaigns in 35 villages which are dependent on fishery for their livelihood have been targeted by the agencies involved in the joint technical effort.
CDA Chief Executive Sudarshan Panda presented a comprehensive baseline survey of socio-economic condition of fisherfolks of 127 villages in and around Chilika in the meeting which assessed the database.
The meeting was attended by officers of Wetland Conservation Division of Ministry of Environment and Forests and State departments like Fisheries and Agriculture.