This presentation briefs the efforts of DHAN Tank Vayalagam Foundation's efforts in governance of Governance on water commons and inland fisheries development

1. Governance for Inland fishery development in water
Commons – Experience of DVTF
Presented by
Madurai Symposium 2013
Tamukkam Ground
on 12.09.2013
S.P.Madhan Mohan
Team Leader
DHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation,
Madurai, INDIA

2. Governance and Good Governance
The concept of "governance" is not new. It
is as old as human civilization.
"governance" means: the process of
decision-making and the process by which
decisions are implemented
To distinguish the term governance from
government: "governance" is what a
"governing body" does

3. Governance
 Swaraj can mean generally self governance or
"self-rule", and was used synonymous with
"home-rule" by Mahatma Gandhi but the word
usually refers to Gandhi's concept for indian
Independence from foreign domination.
 Swaraj lays stress on governance not by a
hierarchical government, but self governance
through individuals and community building

4. Good Governance
 Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted that
good governance is perhaps the single most important
factor in eradicating poverty and promoting
development”, stressing Value based good governance
and highlighting the importance of the common values
of fairness, equality, justice, liberty, and solidarity.
 Mr. Annan warns that "without actions based on these
values, the risk is that we will be driven further apart,
with increasing disparities in wealth and power both
between societies and within them, fuelling anger,
despair and intolerance."

5. Elements OF Governance
Public private and communities
Planning
Legislation
Regulation
policy
Control:
decision making
monitoring, policing,
enforcement and sanctioning
Institutions
implementing authorities

6. Dimensions and Principles of Governance
Access to justice
Responsiveness
Transparency
Participation
Accountability

7. Governance on Water bodies
Governance on water commons is not the new
one, done by our ancestors many more years. In
India, the use of natural resources and their
associated technologies and laws have their
origin from very early period.
Fishing of natural stock in water commons is an
old practice as fishing played major role in
revenue making and added nutrition to rural
community.

8. Decline of Water commons
declining in recent years.
The major reason is being the centralization of
the tanks’ and ponds’ administration including
fishery rights.
Such a move led the local communities to
alienate from these important water resources &
fishery and they restrained themselves from
taking up collective efforts towards the
betterment of tanks and ponds.

9. Status of Fishery in India
Global Position
- 2nd in Aquaculture
due to large number of water bodies
available.
Tanks and Ponds
- 2.35 million ha

10. Growth Of Aquaculture
aquaculture

11. DVTF’s Objective & Focus of community
inland fisheries in water commns:
 Bring back ownership on water commons among all
users
 Involving community organization in common activity
and making full use of available water in rural common
water resources by taking up fish rearing activity.
 Providing additional income to community
organisations to sustain through the maintenance of
rural water ecosystems.
 Providing protein rich food at their reach to offer
additional nutrition to rural community
 Employment generation for inland fishermen &
Landless agriculture labours

12. Case study - SDTT-DHAN Water and Livelihood Security Project -
Experience of Community Based Fish Rearing Activities in Yadgiri
and Gurmitkal Blocks
Inference
 Fish rearing activity has been taken up in 25 tanks. Out of them
16 tanks are taken up the activity for the first time.
 Fastest growing Indian Carps like Common Carp, Catla, Rohu,
and Mrigal are reared in Tanks.
 From 16 tanks ,19300 Kgs of Fishes are harvested which valued
Rs 579000
 To meet the nutritional requirement, around 50 % of the fishes
harvested are consumed by the local people paid less and
remaining is marketed to nearby city Yadgiri.
 Apart from this, it has demonstrated about Profitable fish
rearing activity to the community.
 It motivated the community, and Fish rearing activity is being
taken up in 15 tanks with 100% people contribution.

13. Case study - SDTT-DHAN Water and Livelihood Security Project -Experience
of Community Based Fish Rearing Activities in Yadgiri and Gurmitkal Blocks
 Key Learning’s
 Tank Association members are exposed to experience the Fish rearing. They
felt that fish rearing is profitable and it will assist to meet nutritional
requirement of the local people
 There is competition for Fishery Rights for the tanks holding water for more
than 5 months – Second leasing of fishery rights
 Timely Getting good seeds is a challenging one. There is chance of poor
quality seeds by the fish hatchery due to limited hatcheries
 Poaching is a problematic .It needs to address at local level
 Fish Rearing is profitable in tanks where water stands for more than 4
months
 There may be conflict between Command area farmers and Tank Association
Executive body members regarding Sharing of water. Sometimes water will
be used for crops in command area during reduced amount of rain fall which
results in shortage of water for fish growth .

14. Case study - SDTT-DHAN Water and Livelihood Security Project -
Experience of Community Based Fish Rearing Activities in Yadgiri
and Gurmitkal Blocks
 Key Learning’s
 Tank Association members are exposed to experience the Fish rearing. They
felt that fish rearing is profitable and it will assist to meet nutritional
requirement of the local people
 There is competition for Fishery Rights for the tanks holding water for more
than 5 months – Second leasing of fishery rights
 Timely Getting good seeds is a challenging one. There is chance of poor
quality seeds by the fish hatchery due to limited hatcheries
 Poaching is a problematic .It needs to address at local level
 Fish Rearing is profitable in tanks where water stands for more than 4
months
 There may be conflict between Command area farmers and Tank Association
Executive body members regarding Sharing of water. Sometimes water will
be used for crops in command area during reduced amount of rain fall which
results in shortage of water for fish growth .

15. Inland fishery development - Governance
issues
1. Ownership on water commons among
all stakeholders
2. Inland Fishery rights and revenue in
water commons
3. Water usage management issue
4. Social issues- Poaching, poisoning
5. Traditional Practices

16. Governance on water commons –
DVTF approach
 Social capital and fishery development in Water
Commons
 C&D of water commons with community participation
and contribution
 Creating Awareness on Fish rearing
 Skill building on Fish rearing
 Sustaining Community organizations
 Categorization of water bodies
 Creation of Dead storage or Fish pond in water
commons
 Phase Harvest and selling fishes within the village and
adding nutrition

17. Training and Exposure Visit to Leaders

18. Stocking of Fish seeds

19. Employment to Rural poor
harvest of a village tank in
Villur, Madurai District
Partial Harvest of a village pond
in a Tribal village, Mayurbhanj
District, Orissa

20. Phase Harvest and selling of fishes
Partial harvest of a village
pond and selling of fishes
within the village,
Vennervaikkal of Ramnad
District

21. Dead Storage
DEAD STORAGE - is a deeper storage area not useful for
irrigation in the water spread area of Tanks
photo

22. Gender and fishery

23. Partners in Action in developing
Fishery Activity
60
HIVOS
JSYS
OTELP
1.4
1
1
10
40
2
FAO, TFSF
Oxfam GB
APCBTMP
14
20
5
12
20
8.5
0
2.5
80
SDTT
ITC
AXIS Bankn
45
100
20
120
Oxfam Novib EU
HUL
ITDP
140
160

24. DVTF’s Reach
180
160
140
120
100
Tanks
Ponds
80
60
40
20
0
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010 -11
2011-12
2012-13

25. Success of fish Rearing
Particulars 2006- 2007- 2008- 2009- 2010 2011- 201207
08
09
10
-11
12
13
Success
rate in %
62
71
62
73
68
58
46

26. Way Forward
 To arrive at concrete road map to overcome
governance issues
 To evolve new ways of working and action plan for
better governance and sustainability
 To highlight , sound inland fish rearing traditional
practices towards nutritional security
 To evolve mechanisms and strategies to
institutionalise inland fishery in small water bodies ,
formation of PPGs, PMGs and PCs exclusive for
Fishery .

27. Thank You