647
Hence, the policy may assign high priority to
all round human resource development with
adequate fi nancial outlay and infrastructural support. The recruitment policy may be accordingly
reformed to recruit requisite number of professional fi shery graduates for developmental works.
Career advancement opportunities may be linked
to the performance evaluation. Suffi cient promotional avenues and appropriate incentives
coupled with accountability may be the integral
part of the policy. Need-based short-term and
medium-term refresher training programmes
may become a continuous and inbuilt programme
for capacity building and competency development of the staff at various levels. The content of
the training programmes may include both the
technical knowledge and the societal and managerial skills like community organisation skills,
participatory techniques, communication skills,
team building skills and ability to work with
NGOs/SHGs. Development management programmes for senior offi cers, project management
programmes for middle level offi cers and technical training programmes for junior staff may be
the major focus in the policy. The State Fisheries
Research Institutes may be strengthened and
upgraded into Fisheries Research and Training
Institutes in order to cater to the training needs of
fi shers, farmers and the fi eld personnels at various levels.
30.10 Fishers Livelihood and
Welfare
The socio-economic condition of the fi shers and
the small and marginal farmers are poor in most
of the developing countries in the world. They
have low literacy level, higher birth and death
rates and poor health standards. Availability and
access to social services like primary health, sanitation, education, public distribution system
(PDS), institutional credit and other extension
services are very limited. In addition, high rate of
indebtedness to money lenders, alcoholism
among fi shers, high degree of occupational
uncertainty and hazards are some of the major
concerns. Further, many fi shers in the developing
countries lead a life at the subsistence level, i.e.
almost hand to mouth. Moreover, in addition to
the fi shermen, also the fi sherwomen, who are
actively involved in the harvest and marketing
activities, are vulnerable. Their personal lives are
prone to fatal accidents causing disabilities or
death. It is a fact that fi sh culture in many parts of
the world is prone to fl ood as well as drought.
And under such situations, poor fi shers are the
worst affected people. Post-fl ood situation is so
devastating that farmers, often, are not in a position to invest on feed and seed from their incomes
and resources.
In fact, any policy aimed at socio-economic
development of the fi sherfolk is expected to lay
special emphasis on enhancing their per capita
income to uplift them above poverty line and in
improving the overall living standard of poor
fi shers and farmers. Special attention may be
given to aspects like compulsory primary education to every child, housing, safe drinking water
and other amenities and group accident insurance
coverage to 200,000 active fi shers, fi shing gears,
aqua farms, etc. Registration of fi shermen and
issue of ID cards for fi shers and their family
members should be done as a mandatory exercise. Fast assistance could be ensured from the
Calamity Relief Fund, insurance companies and
other such institutions. The department is
expected to coordinate mobilisation of all the
resources to provide welfare services to fi shing
communities like housing, drinking water facility, primary health care, compulsory primary
education for all fi shers’ children by 2012 and
help community centres. Fisherwomen and children may receive greater attention.
30.11 Fishers’ Cooperatives
It is sad to note here that, at present, the Fisheries
Cooperative Societies are victims of economic
ineffi ciencies, absence of democratic processes,
mismanagement and misappropriation of benefi ts by a dominant few, lack of transparency and
accountability, etc. The policy may ensure
active interventions to strengthen and restructure Fisheries Cooperative Societies in order to
30.11 Fishers’ Cooperatives
Hence, the policy may assign high priority to
all round human resource development with
adequate fi nancial outlay and infrastructural support. The recruitment policy may be accordingly
reformed to recruit requisite number of professional fi shery graduates for developmental works.
Career advancement opportunities may be linked
to the performance evaluation. Suffi cient promotional avenues and appropriate incentives
coupled with accountability may be the integral
part of the policy. Need-based short-term and
medium-term refresher training programmes
may become a continuous and inbuilt programme
for capacity building and competency development of the staff at various levels. The content of
the training programmes may include both the
technical knowledge and the societal and managerial skills like community organisation skills,
participatory techniques, communication skills,
team building skills and ability to work with
NGOs/SHGs. Development management programmes for senior offi cers, project management
programmes for middle level offi cers and technical training programmes for junior staff may be
the major focus in the policy. The State Fisheries
Research Institutes may be strengthened and
upgraded into Fisheries Research and Training
Institutes in order to cater to the training needs of
fi shers, farmers and the fi eld personnels at various levels.
30.10 Fishers Livelihood and
Welfare
The socio-economic condition of the fi shers and
the small and marginal farmers are poor in most
of the developing countries in the world. They
have low literacy level, higher birth and death
rates and poor health standards. Availability and
access to social services like primary health, sanitation, education, public distribution system
(PDS), institutional credit and other extension
services are very limited. In addition, high rate of
indebtedness to money lenders, alcoholism
among fi shers, high degree of occupational
uncertainty and hazards are some of the major
concerns. Further, many fi shers in the developing
countries lead a life at the subsistence level, i.e.
almost hand to mouth. Moreover, in addition to
the fi shermen, also the fi sherwomen, who are
actively involved in the harvest and marketing
activities, are vulnerable. Their personal lives are
prone to fatal accidents causing disabilities or
death. It is a fact that fi sh culture in many parts of
the world is prone to fl ood as well as drought.
And under such situations, poor fi shers are the
worst affected people. Post-fl ood situation is so
devastating that farmers, often, are not in a position to invest on feed and seed from their incomes
and resources.
In fact, any policy aimed at socio-economic
development of the fi sherfolk is expected to lay
special emphasis on enhancing their per capita
income to uplift them above poverty line and in
improving the overall living standard of poor
fi shers and farmers. Special attention may be
given to aspects like compulsory primary education to every child, housing, safe drinking water
and other amenities and group accident insurance
coverage to 200,000 active fi shers, fi shing gears,
aqua farms, etc. Registration of fi shermen and
issue of ID cards for fi shers and their family
members should be done as a mandatory exercise. Fast assistance could be ensured from the
Calamity Relief Fund, insurance companies and
other such institutions. The department is
expected to coordinate mobilisation of all the
resources to provide welfare services to fi shing
communities like housing, drinking water facility, primary health care, compulsory primary
education for all fi shers’ children by 2012 and
help community centres. Fisherwomen and children may receive greater attention.
30.11 Fishers’ Cooperatives
It is sad to note here that, at present, the Fisheries
Cooperative Societies are victims of economic
ineffi ciencies, absence of democratic processes,
mismanagement and misappropriation of benefi ts by a dominant few, lack of transparency and
accountability, etc. The policy may ensure
active interventions to strengthen and restructure Fisheries Cooperative Societies in order to
30.11 Fishers’ Cooperatives