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STRENGTHENING THE FISHING COMMUNITY’S VOICE IN CHILKA
After Ekta Parishad’s month long yatra across Orissa in February 2004, Action Village India began supporting its activists working with traditional fishing communities in Chilka Lake, in Orissa, whose livelihoods have been devastated in recent years.
More than 20,000 traditional fishing families live in 150 villages in and around Chilka, a large brackish water lagoon covering 4,000 sq. km. south of Puri in Orissa. Due to changes in the environment of the lagoon and large-scale commercial fishing, their livelihoods and very survival are now at stake.
The Problems:
Ekta Parishad has had many meetings and discussions with the local fishing communities. The major problems identified include:
1. Conflict in Fisheries: Fishing in the sea mouth area of the lagoon is vital for the livelihoods of the communities living near it. However, these communities are economically poor and belong to the backward classes. In recent years, there has been increasing competition in the lagoon from non-fishing and commercial fishing interests. This has led to conflict.
2. The new sea-mouth: The new mouth to the sea, opened by the Government of Orissa a few years back, is gradually expanding and threatening to wash away the sand spits where fishing communities live. It has affected the tides and currents, encouraging new fish species into the area, making it difficult for the traditional fishermen to fish regularly and also affected their catch and livelihoods. For example, the heavy current washes away indigenous plants, which provide a safe environment for the breeding, feeding and survival of fish, prawns and crabs.
3. Tourism: Tourists and the visitors use motorised boats, which disturb the fish colonies.
4. Mass fishing in sea mouth area: Large-scale fishing by trawlers, mechanised fishing boats in the sea mouth and its adjacent areas contributes to the low production of fish, prawn and crab in the lagoon. Commercial boats collect huge numbers of prawns for artificial breeding in hatcheries around the lagoon.
Project Objectives and activities:
1. To restore the rights and livelihoods of fishing communities. Through leadership training, public hearings and rallies with leaders and youths from the fishing community, all 20,000 families will develop a greater understanding of the issues on the future of Chilka and gain an opportunity to rethink and resolve to restore their rights.
2. To mobilise a grassroots level people’s network. Through forums for community based people’s groups and organisations, peoples’ level of understanding will be enhanced, leading to a plan of action and more effective future strategies. State-level workshops will be held for district and state level government representatives, non-government agencies, technical experts and social scientists.
3. To develop grassroots level activists’ capacities: An estimated 200 young activists will be trained and in turn will be able to train others and motivate communities to work out achievable targets, prepare pro poor policies and work plans and disseminate them. The project will also form a Chilka watch committee to voice problems and present issues to the government.
AVI Support:
For the period 2005-7, AVI is supporting the activists, (3 co-ordinators for the different zones of the lake, 6 activists and an accountant), the training of activists and volunteers, the public meetings and rallies, including documentation and publicity materials. The total budget for two years is £17,700 (Rs 1,417,700).
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