Family Futures

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onfronting

amily

overty

in the region.

While production seems to be increasing, qual-

itative aspects remain a concern, as the share of undersized

fish and low-economic value fish in the total catch is increas-

ing. In most cases there is over-employment and the fishers’

share in the total revenue is negligible. Some major fisheries

are overexploited and their catch is declining. This is leading

to fisheries management measures, such as time and area

closure, causing temporary loss of income for fisher families.

Fishing is one of the riskiest occupations in the world

as thousands of people die every year while fishing at

sea. While developed fishing nations have surveillance

programmes to track mortality in fisheries, any such

programme is yet to be implemented in WBOB. Towards

this, the BOBP and the National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health conducted a study during 2007-2010

to understand the mortality pattern and causes of acci-

dents at sea. The study found that mortality in the region

is about three times as high as in the developed nations.

Lack of use of personal safety and communication equip-

ment, weak coordination with surveillance agencies, faulty

vessel construction and frequent bad weather are the major

reasons for this high mortality.

A traditional fisher and his wife preparing for the fishing trip, Mahabalipuram, India

Image: S. Jayaraj

Women fish vendors in Chennai

Fish retailing in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu State in India,

is largely dominated by the fisherwomen. Compared to their

counterparts in Bangladesh or those of rural coastal areas in

Tamil Nadu, the Chennai women fish vendors enjoy better living

conditions. They are also mostly associated with the mechanized

fisheries sector and are economically well off.

However, these fisherwomen also face a host of issues. Their

problems start with the transportation of fish from Chennai fishing

harbour and wholesale markets to their retailing locations. Public

transporters and commuters often object to carrying fish due

to smell and seepage. The marketplaces do not have adequate

refreshment or toilet amenities for the women. The transportation

problem has been partially addressed by Government-provided

dedicated rail coaches for vendors, and women catering to the

same locality have formed groups to hire private transport.

Apart from logistics, another major issue is to properly preserve

and display products during retailing. Since fish is highly perishable,

it perishes quickly in Chennai’s tropical weather if not properly

insulated. The use of ice boxes, promoted by the BOBP in the early

1990s, is yet to be adopted by all fisherwomen. The Government is

also promoting the use of ice boxes by providing small subsidies to

offset the cost. The availability of quality ice is also a constraint at

times for these fish vendors.