The Western Alaska CDQ program has been successful in uplifting the social and economic development of the rural Alaskan communities since the inception of the program in 1992. Though not in toto, the concept of empowering the fisherfolk communities to develop, administer and invest in their community development plans through fisheries by means of Public-Private partnership in the Indian context can be a novel fisheries management and governance system to work out.
Dear Piyashi,
I must admit that I am not really an expert on the CDQ program but very much in favor of programs which incorporate fisherfolk into management decisions. The question for me is how far the fisheries management system in India is developed? The CDQ program is imbedded in the fisheries management system in Alaska. As far as I know this includes stock assessment, agreement on yearly quotas and then distribution of the quota to the Communities or individuals. If you have a similar system in India CDQs could be a very good program but even if you have not such a system the idea of stronger community based management (or your mentioning of community development plans), can improve the management of the resources. There are many examples (see the work of Elinor Ostrom) were such management systems worked for a very long time.
In India, the only management system in place is the seasonal closure of the trawl fishery during Monsoon (during which many pelagic fishes aggregate to spawn). By law, there are also restrictions in the number of fishing boats through the issuance of license. However, none of these are monitored to ensure their implementation. Stock assessments of commercially important species are occasionally done though the country do not have a policy of transferring management advice to fisheries regulation. India has a long way to go in terms of developing an efficient fisheries management system.
Thank you very much for the answer Deepak Pazhayamadom, and also for the crisp information about the fishery management system. I also want to know where specifically in the Indian coasts these restrictions in the monsoon fishery are applied. This is because I am going to do a research study on the potential implications if CDQ type institutions for fisheries management in India.
Thank you very much Sir Ralf Doring for your valuable inputs and suggestions. In India, there is no CDQ type institution present till now, and management system is not as strong as with the CDQ program in Alaska. Community-based management does exist in some regions, but again is limited to a few places. One of the most important features of the Western Alaska CDQ, which is catch sharing is rarely seen in the Indian fisheries management system. However, the on-going concern about sustainability of fisheries may at times in future lead to the development of CDQ based management system. Sir, Thank you again for suggesting me to go through Elinor Ostrom's work.
Please refer (Page 7): http://www.mrag.co.uk/Documents/IUU_India.pdf
Any fisheries management plan needs to have fishery biologists in evolving the scheme of things. As far as I know,these individuals are not involved in making of such management plans.Moreover a huge amount of technical data with constant input is involved in making of such plans.In puts have to come from state fisheries departments & almost all of them are not capable of doing this.Central Research Institutes have their own limitations. Any management tool which the fishermen feels that would involve more of Governmental interference or probable loss of harvest is overtly or covertly pulled down by them. Management plans in India needs to be evolved taking all these into consideration & knowing the ground scenario.
- Badges
- Science method
- Similar topics
- Biological Science
- Ecology