National Marine Fisheries Census from next month

“Youngsters from the community are chosen based on educational background and are given training for the survey. There are a lot of colloquial terms used by fishermen which a layman may not immediately understand. Enumerators from within the community make it simpler for gathering information,” said Dr. G B Purushottama, scientist with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, with support from the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairies and Fisheries undertaking the survey. He added that information collected will be monitored and verified before analysis for the final collation.

[related-post]

The census pertains to status of active fishermen households, their socio-economic condition, their educational status, crafts and gears, migration to other states for fishing or any other activity and other information including their fishing equipment. Such a census has been conducted seven times since independence. Officials said that the enumeration will be conducted through detailed questionnaires and the census will be analysed and prepared within a year.

In the census of 2010, Maharashtra had 81492 fishermen households residing in 456 fishing villages with maximum in Thane followed by Raigad. Women formed 49 per cent of the population outweighing men in allied fishing activities like curing, processing, peeling and marketing. The education level in fisherfolk community was at a level of 69 per cent and about 15,509 households were below poverty line.

Experts said the census is also significant for disputes arising like recent one where a gaothan in Worli was marked as a slum by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. “There could be traditional fishermen villages whose recognition is changed by vested interests. The census can be a central government ready reckoner in such cases,” said an official.

Another expert said the census helps determine various aspects affecting the fishing community which can be addressed through changes in policy. “The census is to collect demographic information including equipment available with fishermen, landing centres they have access to and reasons of migration or any other factor affecting livelihood. There can be policy level changes including setting up of jetties or improving the sustainability of fishing after such a census,” said Dr. V D Deshmukh, Retired Principal Scientist, CMFRI, Mumbai.

The census will be part of the survey carried out in many states including Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala on the west coast and West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu on the east coast.