India is gifted with incredible water resources. Great seas on three sides, large number of rivers, lakes, wetlands, reservoirs and ponds not only provide us with water bodies of huge number and bewildering diversity, but also produce large quantity of fish to make India stand second in the world. Total annual fish produced by both capture and culture fisheries in our country has been nearly 11 million tonnes, of which inland fisheries account for more than 66%. About 6 million workers including fishers, fish farmers, fish processing workers, fish sellers alongwith net and boat makers or repairers earn their livelihood from fisheries. Hence there is a fisheries dependent population of no less than 3 crores (30 million). Inland fisheries account for more than two third of the employment in fisheries. Fish provides high quality and cheap animal protein together with many beneficial minerals and vitamins. Around 80 crores (800 million) people eat fish in India. Since 1961 per capita consumption of fish has more than trebled. More than 13% of all animal protein consumed by our countrymen comes from fish and fish provides the next largest supply of animal protein after milk. Thus the fisheries sector plays a very important role in the food security, nutritional status and employment in our country. Also, with more than 50% of the sector’s workforce being women, suffice it to mention that it plays a salient role in maintaining gender balance in employment. Fisheries resources are under tremendous pressure. Indiscriminate encroachments, pollution and consumptive use of water are killing our coastal and inland water bodies and with that the fish resources they harbour. Over and destructive fishing by mechanised boats and trawlers have made the near shore waters of India’s 8,000 kilometre long coastlines barren of fish. The small and traditional fishers and fish farmers are by far the largest non-consumptive primary stakeholders and natural custodians of our water bodies. Good fish needs good water. The small and traditional fishing communities, always and everywhere, strive to protect water bodies and fish resources. It is important to note, in this light, that traditional fishing is nature-friendly and suitable for ecology of the river. It may be remembered that traditional fishers let a new born fish mature and produce progeny so that there is natural stock replacement. The port led development project christened as Sagarmala is designed to push up the destruction of coastal natural resources. Linked up with newly announced 110 National Waterways, the tide of destruction is going to sweep through the great rivers like the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Brahmani, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Mandavi and Zuari killing whatever fish resources have been left in them. Investment driven enhancement of productivity that cares little for environmental or ecological balance and edges out small fishers and fish farmers promoting their replacement by entrepreneurs from outside the sector, or sustainable production with protection and promotion of livelihood of small fishers and fish farmers the fisheries sector is witnessing a policy conflict. The small and traditional fishing communities are losing ground and with it pressure is building up against sustainability in fisheries. Blue Revolution promoted by the Government of India aims to encourage this very process. Most ironically thousands of these small fisher people, who have been struggling to protect their livelihood and the water bodies, are being driven out of the aquatic areas falling within protected areas like wild life sanctuaries and reserves… The full statement is available at: https://demo2.icsf.net/images/resources/statements/statements_other/172_ICAN_Statement_Fisheries.pdf.pdf