Shifting focus from traditional fishery to aquaculture: Birbhum District

                          The inland fisheries resources of India include a length of 0.17 million km rivers and canals, 2.05 million ha of reservoir area, 2.86 million ha area of ponds and tanks and 0.8 million ha of beels, oxbow lakes and derelict water. Two decades back most of the inland fish production was obtained in the capture fishing mode, concentrated along rivers, reservoirs and lakes. Traditional fishing communities engaged in capture fishery. But, the fish production from natural waters like rivers, lakes, canals, etc., followed a declining trend, primarily due to proliferation of water control structures, indiscriminate fishing and habitat degradation (Katiha 2000). Over the years, there has been a shift in focus from capture fisheries in open water bodies like rivers and lakes to intensive freshwater aquaculture in village water bodies across the country. Aquaculture in villages in India, in general, is practiced with low to moderate levels of inputs, especially organic-based fertilizers and feed. (Courtesy: www.indiawaterportel.org)

WBADMIP initiatives:

Dadpur Light Duty Tubewell, Birbhum

WBADMIP included fishery under its Agriculture Support System in the year 2014 in seven districts of West Bengal namely Jalpaiguri, Birbhum, Bankura, Bardhaman, Paschim Midnapore, Purulia and Darjeeling. The main objective is to create livelihood opportunities from the village water bodies and strengthening of small and marginal farmers. The support envisages increasing the income of the farmers in the project villages where the Minor Irrigaion Schemes of WBADMIP are implemented. The Fishery activities are operated by Fishery Interest Groups (FIG) and its members are mostly selected by its parent body i.e Water User Association (WUA). WUAs are formed to institutionalize the community based activities associated with the Maintenance, Operation and Management (MOM) of Minor Irrigation schemes (Check Dams, Pump Dug Wells, Water Detention Structure, Tube Wells etc) in an area.

Fish harvesting demonstration in Dadpur:

As a part of the project activities, A Fish harvesting event was carried out in Dadpur demonstration pond of Birbhum District on 22^nd of April’16 in the presence of ADMI project officials, local villagers and members of the concerned Fishery Interest Group. The objective of the event was to acquaint the Fishery Interest Group (FIG) members with scientific fish harvesting techniques and to showcase the harvesting results to promote adoptions. During the demonstration, the FIG members maintaining the pond( with a water area of around 2600 m²) informed that they are expecting an  yield of around 1800-1900 kg of fish in the current season . ^. However, they also expressed the need of quality drag net to bring efficiency in harvesting operations and also to facilitate monthly netting exercise to check the growth and health of the fishes. 

Furthermore, it has been observed that the village posses a good potential for developing it in a cluster approach as there are 11 ponds covering water area of approximately 3 hectares with good availability of fresh water. By doing so, villagers can be engaged in fish farming thus minimizing the threat of poaching and poisoning of fishes out of jealousy, which otherwise is a common social problem in the area. After the demonstration, many participants were seems to be keen to adopt the modern tools and techniques demonstrated by the experts with hand holding support initially .Encouraged by this overwhelming response, the fishery team of Birbhum district has decided to organize a village level meeting in this regard to work out the modalities for cluster formation and to carry out the necessary documentation process with a clear outline on the percentage share contribution to be made from the project as well as from the beneficiaries. A commitment will also be sought from the beneficiaries to carry forward the program as per the technical guidance and directions from the project.

The FIG members would be able to collect a quantity of 200 kg of fish in a single harvest by adopting the techniques demonstrated to them and also be able to fetch a good price in the nearby Suri market with an  increase in 20-25% profit margins. Looking at the success, there is a proposal to provide thermocol boxes to the FIG members from the Project to minimize loss during transportation. These boxes are cost effective, widely used by commercial fish growers and will also be helpful during harvesting to keep the net floating above water level to check the fishes escaping over the net.

With an input cost of 70,000 INR , Fishery Coordinator from the Project Dr. Chayan Roy is projecting a gross return of around 130,000 INR thus bringing a net return of 200,000 INR approx. to the Fishery Interest Group just over a period of 9 months.