Fisheries Administration and Lagislation

Unit 2 - Legal and organizational framework

2.3. Key State Government Organizations
The State Department of Fisheries (DOF) is the nodal agency responsible for formulation of policy, development and management programs and their implementation. The DOF is tasked with providing direct support for increasing supply from both capture and culture fisheries. It has a mandate to monitor and promote improved management of the resources, and actively promotes the involvement of small-scale and poorer participants in the sector.
While state laws provide some regulations for fisheries management, such as mesh size regulations, these are inconsistent across states and weakly enforced. Some states are trying to control expansion of vessels by capping numbers at existing levels, but this does not appear to be very effective nor is it addressing the issue of overcapacity. Most states do not have working patrol boats, vehicles, or other equipment required to support effective fisheries regulation, monitoring, enforcement and control. Rather than actively being engaged in fisheries management, the main activities of state fisheries departments include construction of fishing harbors and setting up marketing and processing infrastructure (encouraging even higher production), technical support, training and extension, delivering subsidies and credit assistance to fishermen for acquiring fishing equipment, supporting fishing cooperatives, compiling fisheries statistics, and implementing various welfare measures and activities for the fishers (Department of Fisheries-Andhra Pradesh, 1998).

Research Organizations
Fisheries research is undertaken by both the central government and the individual state governments. The central government research institutions generally fall under the control of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which is affiliated with the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) Fisheries research in the states is done by agricultural universities and their colleges of fisheries. ICAR coordinates the activities of six major research centers, covering inland fishing, aquaculture, education and technology. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi, Kerala is directly supporting marine fishing in India. One other fisheries research organization, the Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai (CIFE) in Mumbai undertakes education and research in fisheries. The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) also in Kochi, carries out research in fishing technology, craft and gear, processing and preservation; it also helps in quality control certification for export of seafood. The Fisheries Survey of India, headquartered in Mumbai has a mandate for stock assessments. While a significant level of research is carried out, it is not clear how much practical information is provided both to policy makers or private stakeholders from small-scale fishers to large trawler operators through technology transfer processes.
Financial Institutions
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has a special component for preferential lending to the fisheries sector at subsidized rates of interest. NABARD’s support to fishing sector included refinancing mechanized and other boats and aquaculture. In the Tenth 5-Year Plan period, NABARD plans to refinance loans worth over 6 thousand crores or US$1.5 billion (GOI, 2001a: 41).
Trade Associations
The Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI) is the representative body of seafood exporters. It takes an active part, in conjunction with the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), in conducting the International Seafood Fairs in India, besides participating in the various international fairs and exhibitions. It brings out the Seafood Exporters Journal.
Training Institutions
The main bodies involved in training and capacity building at the field level are the state Departments of Fisheries, which frequently offer courses in new technologies or ancillary activities for supporting fishing effort (e.g., gear and engine repairing), and post-harvest issues such as processing, quality control and fish handling. Besides the DOFs, the state agriculture universities in several states also have their own colleges of fisheries which undertake more systematic and regular training in fisheries at graduate, post-graduate and doctoral levels. The CMFRI undertakes extension and training programs, generally of a one-off kind. MPEDA has a strong training role especially in the processing sector, but also undertakes regular extension programs on fishing and related activities.
Community Institutions
The most important community institutions are the traditional governance systems (caste/kinship-based, with geographical origin also being important in case of migrant/settler communities). Some of traditional management systems are still in place that provides fisheries governance at the local level although these are being eroded by changes in society and the macroeconomic policies of governments. Apart from these community based institutions, there are three other kinds of community institutions in the fishing communities of India:
The most important community institutions are the traditional governance systems (caste/kinship-based, with geographical origin also being important in case of migrant/settler communities). Some of traditional management systems are still in place that provides fisheries governance at the local level although these are being eroded by changes in society and the macroeconomic policies of governments. Apart from these community based institutions, there are three other kinds of community institutions in the fishing communities of India:

• State-supported cooperatives function as channels for aid but have become so entrenched that their more important role of bringing about social change is completely ignored.
• NGO-driven, community-based organizations (CBOs) tend to be more specific in their orientation in terms of their target groups (by gender, for instance) or issues. Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) are the most visible manifestation of the modern community institutions in the village (Box 4).

Fishworkers’ organizations, which seek to network with other fishers’ bodies and bring their issues and concerns to the notice of the policymakers in a proactive manner. The National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) is the biggest fishers’ body in the country and has its affiliates in several coastal states of the country