Assessment of Socio-technical Constraints of Marine Fishers in the Utilisation of Marine Fishery Advisories in Southern Odisha, India

Abstract

Sustainable marine fishing practices are often hindered by local-level factors in areas with high fishery potentials, such as Odisha, India. Scientific services to fishing, such as Marine Fishery Advisories (MFAs) on the Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) and weather information in the form of Ocean State Forecast (OSF) advisories provided by INCOIS, India, are valuable knowledge products which can help the fishers to overcome several socio-technical constraints (STCs) to effective fishing practices. The present investigation provides a critical analysis of five STCs prevailing in 4 districts (Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam) of Southern Odisha which can possibly hinder the effective assimilation of the MFAs. These five STCs are the hierarchy of fishers in fishing operations, pathways of transition to new fishing technologies, the adaptive capacity of the fishers to use scientific advisories, the need to achieve economic resilience from fishing as well as the contribution to the preservation of ecosystem sustainability. Stakeholder mapping based on the ground-based observations revealed that inadequate transitions pathways, varying hierarchical positions and low adaptive capacities contributed to higher STCs in general. Sensitivity of the fishers to achieving economic as well as environmental sustainability in their enterprise leads to lower STCs and greater assimilation capacities. The analyses of STCs presented here provide a robust methodology to manage the social cost of carbon which can be useful to achieve sustainability targets with respect to marine fisheries by adopting regular use of MFAs.

Participatory Stakeholder Assessment for Drivers of Mangrove Loss to Prioritize Evidence-Based Conservation and Restoration in Bhitarkanika and Mahanadi Delta, India

“…However, local respondents stressed that the nearby village settlements were comparatively less affected by the super cyclone in 1999 because of the dense protective cover of mangroves close to the coastline. During the survey, it was clear that there was low uncertainty in responses about the high impact of extreme climate events on the degradation of mangroves in the region (Figure 3a,b), corroborating earlier reports from Odisha (Sanathanam and Kundu, [30]; at Talasari). It has been well established that the especially rich mangroves of Odisha in the Kendrapara district have acted as a shield to reduce the intensity and impact of cyclones and tsunamis.…”

“…Respondents agreed, with low to medium uncertainty, that local people are directly as well as indirectly dependent on the mangrove forests, and that local socio-economics have a high to very high impact on mangroves (Figure 3a,b). The eco-sensitivity of the area has deterred domination of marine fishing activities in general, and there was a cessation during the fishing ban periods [30]. Respondents indicated that local poverty and socio-economic factors have significantly affected the mangroves' health in the region, and that agriculture expansion, along with the pressure of fuelwood, is tremendous.…”

“…On an average, respondents reported with very low uncertainty about the high impact of port, jetty, and coastal industrial projects on the degradation of mangroves in the region (Figure 3a,b). However, one cannot deny their significant impacts on these mangroves, as has been witnessed elsewhere, leading to the slow decline of mangrove patches [30]. There are small jetties operating from various ranges of Bhitarkanika, mostly for tourism purposes.…”

“…The use of technology for monitoring, early detection of disturbances, and restoration, as well as for regulating the fishing activities close to mangrove regions, can be approached with significant positive outcomes. However, the use of motorized boats running on diesel and kerosene is a threat to the mangrove environment, and needs to be regulated [30]. In this context, marine police (as observed in Dhamra and Paradip) patrolling can be enhanced in order to monitor and regulate the fishing activities adjacent to mangrove areas.…”