This report covers a series of discussions conducted both at settlement as well as district levels over a period of a year and a half. These discussions, initiated with executive committee members of the traditional Panchayats, culminated in three district level discussions where representatives of different villages tried to arrive at a consensus on various co-management related issues. All the meetings were minuted and the agenda of the district level meetings was based on the collation of settlement level discussions. Representatives of the Fisheries Department at the district level participated in the meetings at Cuddalore and Villupuram while the director of fisheries of Pondicherry participated in the co-management meeting held there. There is a general consensus among the fishing community that the artisanal fishing sector is facing a crisis and that the community needs to work with the government to arrive at mechanisms for fisheries
resources management. There is also a consensus that provided there is government support, enforcement of regulations on destructive fishing practices and gear use can facilitated by local communities. There is also a recognition that many of the issues facing the artisanal fishers are related to practices in
vogue by the mechanised sector. These co-management meetings constituted an important first step in operationalising fisheries co-management in these districts. However these meetings must be followed up by concrete steps by the Department and civil society to consolidate on the progress and convert the consensus arrived at during these meetings into specific actions on the ground.
This report covers a series of discussions conducted both at settlement as well as district levels over a period of a year and a half. These discussions, initiated with executive committee members of the traditional Panchayats, culminated in three district level discussions where representatives of different villages tried to arrive at a consensus on various co-management related issues. All the meetings were minuted and the agenda of the district level meetings was based on the collation of settlement level discussions. Representatives of the Fisheries Department at the district level participated in the meetings at Cuddalore and Villupuram while the director of fisheries of Pondicherry participated in the co-management meeting held there. There is a general consensus among the fishing community that the artisanal fishing sector is facing a crisis and that the community needs to work with the government to arrive at mechanisms for fisheries
resources management. There is also a consensus that provided there is government support, enforcement of regulations on destructive fishing practices and gear use can facilitated by local communities. There is also a recognition that many of the issues facing the artisanal fishers are related to practices in
vogue by the mechanised sector. These co-management meetings constituted an important first step in operationalising fisheries co-management in these districts. However these meetings must be followed up by concrete steps by the Department and civil society to consolidate on the progress and convert the consensus arrived at during these meetings into specific actions on the ground.