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ABSTRACT
Siar, S.V.; Venkatesan, V.; Krishnamurthy, B.N.; Sciortino, J.A. 2011.
Experiences and lessons from the cleaner fishing harbours initiative in India.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. No. 1068. Rome, FAO. 94p.
India is one of the top ten producer countries of aquaculture as well as of marine and inland capture fisheries. Since 1964, the Government of India has been providing funds for the development of physical and infrastructure requirements for fishing harbours and fish landing, through the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Despite the investment made, most fishing harbours are not properly maintained due to lack of effective management and inadequate revenue collection.
To address this problem, a technical cooperation project was implemented to build the technical knowledge and institutional capacity to upgrade fishing harbours to internationally accepted standards necessary for fish quality assurance. The project was implemented from March 2007 to December 2009 in Dhamara fishing harbour in Orissa State and Mangrol fishing harbour in Gujarat State using a combination of infrastructure upgrading and stakeholder participation in management.
Stakeholder consultations were undertaken at the very start and during the course of project implementation to identify and analyze the various stakeholder groups, taking note of their needs and capacity for management. Assessment of existing facilities and services as well as the outcome of the stakeholder consultations became the basis for the recommendations for infrastructure upgrading and sanitation, including a review of existing frameworks and options to make way for the participation of stakeholders in management. Capacity building was undertaken to enable the stakeholders to participate fully in the management of the fishing harbour. This was executed through training and awareness-raising activities involving different groups of stakeholders. Training materials, leaflets, brochures, posters and signboards were developed in consultation with the stakeholders, and produced and translated into the local language.
This publication is intended to share the experiences and lessons from the project and provide an example of how fishing harbours may be upgraded to international standards of hygiene and fish quality assurance. It is intended for government officers in fisheries departments tasked with the supervision and management of fishing harbours and fish landing sites, as well as technical staff who are given the responsibility for designing and upgrading fishing harbours.
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