The innovation initiated by Shramjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal aimed to support the livelihoods of the tribal Katkari community in Raigad district of Maharashtra by introducing reservoir-based inland fisheries as an alternative to river fishing which had been affected by increased pollution levels. They established a low-cost circular carp hatchery model using gravity water supply that had significantly lower construction and operating costs compared to government hatcheries. This helped provide the necessary fish seeds to stock in 18 water bodies managed by 13 tribal fishing cooperatives with 887 members, improving their annual incomes and reducing migration. The hatchery design and fishery model has since been expanded and replicated in other areas as a sustainable livelihood solution

1. Maharashtra Rural Livelihood
Innovation Forum (MRLIF), 2014
Shramjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal, Satara
Low Cost Circular Carp Hatchery (Seed
Centre) – Livelihood Innovation.
22 January 2014, Mumbai

2.  SJSM Founded in 1977
 Initial focus was to promote education in the far flung villages of
Koyna River Basin.
 Worked on promoting People’s organizations and cooperatives
for livelihood promotion (Promoted 50 cooperatives).
 Presently operational in 510 villages of Satara and Raigad
districts.
 Worked on diverse livelihoods of poor in Hills of Sahyadri Ghats.
 Gender is cross cutting in all activities of SJSM.
 Worked amongst Shephard community, poor farmers (Dalilts,
Kunabi and Maratha).
 All cooperatives in Satara district are sustained and managed by
communities.

3.  With a view to share Satara experience we started working with some
NGOs in Raigad District from 2002
 The tribals affected by Monsoon floods of July 2005 invited us to help
them with relief and rehabilitation.
 It was also our responsibility to arrange relief and rehabilitation for
them to help them put the development process back on the track
 While working on relief we noticed various problems faced by tribal
community – women, men and children. Major problems observed were
livelihood and issues due to migration
 To facilitate the rehabilitation we thought of using our cooperative and
livelihood model
 A livelihood promotion plan for 95 tribal hamlet in Mahad affected area
was prepared.
Intervention in flood affected Raigad District and amongst tribals

4. Work area of
Shramjivi
WORK AREA

5. • The innovation initiated to support
livelihood of tribal – Katkari
community in Raigad district.
• Katakari is Particularly Vulnerable
Tribal Groups (PVTG) and are
Traditional river fisher folks.
• Increased pollution levels in rivers
affected the livelihood.
• Shramjivi Janata Sahayyak Mandal
Introduced reservoir based inland
fisheries (IF) as an alternate source.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Katakari hamlet
Fishing with Sari Bandhan Fishing

6. • Shramjivi
promoted 13 tribal fishing cooperatives (887 members)
Established fishing rights over 18 water bodies (water spread area
of 489.60 ha).
• Per year requirement at least 23.52 lakh fingerling size seeds.
Main hurdle - Quality and quantity seeds of Indian Major Carp
(IMC) and Common Carp (CC) for stocking in the water bodies.
PROBLEM STATEMENT (Contd…..)
?
Fishing rights over Reservoir Reservoir

7.  Low cost Circular Carp Hatchery
model using gravity water supply.
• Construction cost - Rs. 3 lakh
(excluding land cost). As per
Government norms the present
structure required Rs. 50 to Rs.
60 lakh.
• Capacity – 5.20 Crore / Year
• Low Maintenance, self-reliant.
• Required space - 300 m2area.
• Easy to operate
INNOVATION: KEY ASPECTS / STRATEGY
• Reduction in cost due to non-requirement of overhead, ground storage tanks,
separate breeding pool, water supply pumps and Generator
• Replicability: Can be adopted anywhere at the downstream of the irrigation
tanks.
• Reduction in loss of eggs during transfer form breeding to incubation tank
• Elimination of loss of spawns during transfer from breeding incubation to
harvesting tanks
• Can breed two species separately at the same time – IMC and CC.
• No Hybridization.
Low cost Circular Carp Hatchery
Incubation tank
Conditioning

8. • Criteria of innovation “To
overcome the difficulty to achieve
the objective”.
• Availability of timely quality and
quantity fish seeds.
• The annual income of co-op.
member increased from Rs. 10 -
12,000 to Rs. 32 - 35,000 per year.
INNOVATION: BASIS/CRITERIA
Injecting the brooder
Seed sampling
Harvested fish

9. • 526 out of 887 members are involved full time in fishing.
• Fish harvested -139.771 tons (Market value Rs.1,67,72,520)
• Average income - Rs. 32,000 / member / year
• Gender equality - Marketing is handled by women.
• Reduction in Migration - 526 families stopped migrating. & have encouraged
others to join fishing cooperative.
INNOVATION IMPACT
• Initiated with 5 Katkari fishing
cooperatives (483 members2010–11)
• Expanded to 13 cooperatives
(887 members 2013).
• In process – registration of 5
cooperatives.
• Total spawn production - 4.92
crore.
• Fingerling production - 77.49
lakh released in water
reservoirs.
• Fish Density of water bodies
increased from 25 to 110 kg / ha.
Fish Marketing

10. INNOVATION IMPACT: DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Target group of innovation (SJSM) : 4774 Katkari families (Primitive tribe) from 95
Hamlets (Mahad & Poladpur Block, Dist. Raigad.) - which is also MSRLM target group.
•
Promoted Local leadership 215 (M)
165 (F)
Issued Ration Card 2899
Issued Caste Certificate 5348
Government Gharkul
Scheme Beneficiaries
1371
Formation of SHGs 78 SHGs (1014
members)
Formation of Farmer
groups
35 groups (245
members)
Membership in Panchayat Raj 64
Children Enrollment in
School
90 %
Government funds utilized
for different development
schemes
Rs. 9,32,78,727
Children Enrollment in Schools
Tribal women leadership

11. REPLICABILITY, SCALABILITY, SUSTAINABILITY
 Huge potential in Maharashtra
• 3,52,615 ha. water spread
area.
• Non availability of quality &
quantity seeds.
• Inland Fishery sector not
accorded attention.
 Shramjivi‘s Carp Hatchery
Innovation
• Can be replicated in down
streams of water reservoirs.
• Scalable in Maharashtra.
• Based on local natural
resources viz. water and land.
• Can be implemented through
cooperatives or federations
• Sustainable.

12. ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY TO REPLICATE / SCALE UP THE INNOVATION
• Linkages with GOs & Universities
(BSKKV & CIFE).
• Linkages with technical and
developmental consultants.
• Promoted Konkan Lokadhikar Manch
(KLM) – a network of 22 NGOs in
Konkan and Western Maharashtra.
• Formation of cooperatives through
NGOs.
• Co-operative EC members capacity
building (Management).
• Fish harvesting, Hatchery and Reservoir
management training etc.
• Organized GO – NGO Consultation.
• Organized State level consultation.
• Development of raring space like ponds,
cages and pen cultures at every
reservoir site.
• To develop traditional village water
tanks, farm-ponds for fish production.
GO – NGO Consultation State level Consultation

13. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES TO REPLICATE / SCALE UP THE INNOVATION
Over 30 years
experience in rural
development focused on
livelihood to poor and
marginal communities in
Western Maharashtra
and Konkan.
Availability of Resources for training, R & D
(Laboratory, training center, store room & training
equipments).
Availability of technical, qualified & experienced
staff.
Training hall, Lab, store room, office &
Hatchery