For promoting hygienic post-harvest fishing, value addition and sustainable fishing, the need for involving fishermen self-help group federations and achieving market chain linkages was underlined at a two-day consultation organised in Vishakapatnam in the south Indian State of Andhra Pradesh by the UNDP and the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
The two-day meeting which concluded on Saturday resolved to ensure active involvement of the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) to sensitise the stakeholders. The programme, part of series of consultation programmes proposed at various levels, aims to understand the various issues and challenges faced for improving the livelihood of fishermen.
Among those, who took part in the deliberations included NRLM Director and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development T. Vijay Kumar, UNDP Programme Analyst Sashi Sudhir, South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies Advisor V. Vivekanandan and International Collective in Support of Fishworkers Director Chandrika Sharma.
Besides the host State, delegates from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha attended. The NRLM is one of the flagship programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development and is being implemented through SRLM. The UNDP is partnering with NRLM to support improved planning and delivery of the poverty reduction and livelihood promotion in various States. As part of its partnership, UNDP is also supporting NRLM develop its strategy for marine fisheries livelihoods.
During the consultation , inputs from the experts and various organisations were elicited. Integrated Coastal Management (ICM), , was involved in the consultation. We were taught on the importance of hygienic fishing, developing marketing network for remunerative price and the need for availing benefits under various schemes for value addition, District Fishermen Youth Welfare Association executive secretary Arjili Dasu, who attended the meeting, said.
2013 The Hindu