The subject of fisheries is in the state listed under Article-21 of Indian constitution and hence the management of fisheries resources including territorial water bodies existed in the state of Odisha.
Odisha is one of the major maritime state covering a stretch of more than 480 Kms cost. line starting from Dhamara to Sumandi offering vast-scope for development of maritime fishing along with Brakish water and Freshwater Fishing. These resources of fish production from capture and capture-cum-culture fisheries could be sustainably augmented to meet the domestic market.
Demands, create employment and income generating opportunities for the rural/poor and enhance their nutritional and livelihood security.
Out of these Brakish and Marine Sector provide more than 75% of fish production in Odisha. Fishers engaged in the sector for capturing the fishes are called fisherman. This organisation is mainly working for enhancing economic, educational and social status of this communities.
Problems of Fishers and its eradication:
(a) Opening of Chilika mouth at ‘Arakhakuda’, Sipakuda and Rusikulya River mouth Eradication of Nala-grass (Phragmiles Karke) which are covered 300 Sq. KM’s in Chilika Lagoon till now and spreading @0.56 Sq. KM per year.
(b) Excavation of creeks of the rivers connecting to Chilika Lagoon.
(c) Ban of “0” net in outer channel of Chilika as well as whole area in the Lagoon.
(d) Declaration of non-fishing zone up to 10 KMs from Chilika mouth as 80% of fish species are migratory from sea.
(e) Establishment of factories to extract of oil, vitamins, compost and cattle-feed from Nala-grass and directly creating employment to ‘Chilika’ fish for preventing migration of labour.
(f) Establishment of education hub at Gangadharpur for fisherman students only to providing coaching to students enable them to success in different Got. Jobs.
(g) Provide houses to the fisherman under fully central assistance scheme as state Govt. unable to provide same.
(h) Change the definition of fisherman, means the person fisherman (Keuta, Kaibarta, Dewar) by caste.
(i) Fishing right in ‘Chilika’ and other water bodies snould be given to the nearer by fisherman communities by caste only.
(j) Prevent the ‘Gheri Culture’ in Chilika and ban for prawn culture within the 5 KMs. distance from ‘Chilika; shore.
(k) Govt. should provide boat, net and fishing equipments, transporting vehicles, thermocool boxes, freezing equipments, solar drying infrastructure for dry fishes etc. with 10% deposit from fisher communities and 90% as Govt. share. All cyclone victim fishers should be exempted from Govt. loan if any.
(I) Subsidy should be given up to 75% enhancing the present subsidy rate of 50% to fisher communities only those who conducting fish culture.
(m)There are more than 1400 fisherman co-operative societies functioning in the state of Odisha.
Whereas only one central fisherman cooperative society is functioning at Balugaon covering 184 No. of fisherman co-operative societies around the Chilika lake. So six number of more central fisherman co-operative societies is demanded for betterment of the fishers communities.
State fisheries policy is meant for giving more beneficial to non fisherman communities, so, policy should be changed by both the Govts. accordingly to emphasise the development of traditional fisherman communities. Since traditional fisherman belongs to a schedule caste communities.