Role of Collective Action and Governance in Implementing Sustainable Fishing Practices: A Case Study of Karnataka Marine Fisheries

In coastal Karnataka two hundred thousand fishing households are directly dependent on marine fishing which provides livelihood, security and minimizes the vulnerability to chronic poverty. The small-scale fisheries employing labour intensive harvesting, processing, and distribution technologies to harvest near-shore fishery resources were contributing less to the output and more to the employment. However, rapid growth of mechanization and expansion of international trade coupled with growing number of non-fishing communities in fisheries sector caused a transformation of fisheries during the past two decades. Macro level assessment of per capita income from fishing shows a declining trend during the last 10 years although the overall net domestic product in the region has been increasing. The declining resources and increasing use of coastal waters for non-fishery related activities have undermined the role of small-scale fisheries and its capacity to provide ecosystem goods and services. The restoration of small scale fishing requires a multi-pronged fishery management approach including community support and action. The recently organized stakeholder consultations with different fishing groups have evolved scope for executing collective management measures. The study is based on the outcome of a number of stakeholder consultations organized during 2016 as part of the national programme of International Collective in Support of Fish workers (ICSF) to disseminate and implement the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) “Voluntary Guidelines for Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries”. The study is based on expert consultations, meetings with community based organizations and stakeholder consultations. Two prominent community based organizations were consulted regarding the impact of executing the FAO guidelines. The stakeholders consultation have focused on three major action research issues such as identification of measures to minimize the negative impact of implementing FAO guidelines on small-scale fishers, restriction and gradual removal of fuel subsidy to destructive fishing practices, reducing the dependence of women on state sponsored support schemes, integration of community based management measures with state fishery regulations, mobilizing community support/social capital for discouraging un-sustainable fishing technologies. The results of the study was helpful in understanding the real issues of governance and collective action required for the implementation of common fishery management regulations such as extended closed seasons and areas, introduction of minimum mesh size, limiting fishing effort through scientific licensing policy.