The Hindu Business Line : Fishery development programme mooted for Kuttanadu farmers

The rice-fish rotational farming system enhances the income of the farmers by 40 per cent with significant saving on rice production and makes rice farming more organic and remunerative.

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Kochi Feb. 5 The Kuttanadu Vikasana Samithy (KVS), an NGO, has suggested that a fishery resource development programme be formulated as an alternative livelihood for paddy cultivators of the region who are facing serious financial crisis due to high cost of production and un-remunerative paddy prices.

Paddy cultivation has become an un-remunerative and unsustainable means of livelihood for thousands of small and marginal farmers in the rice bowl of Kerala, Kuttanadu. And, water pollution, contamination and adverse physical interventions including reckless motorised traffic have crippled fishing resources by depleting the fish wealth in the region.

In fact, Kuttanadu is home to the renowned `Attukonchu' (fresh water prawn- Microbrachium rosenbergii). The physical obstruction of the Thannermukkam barrage totally disrupted the upstream and downstream migration of the giant prawn, leading to near decimation of it, according to Fr Thomas Peelianickal, Executive Director, KVS.

UNSUSTAINABLE FISHING

The decline of biodiversity of island fishes in the area is attributed to unsustainable and unethical fishing practices such as poisoning, dynamiting etc in the riverine areas. Massing, trapping and netting are other destructive fishing practices that bring about indiscriminate destruction of all sorts of fishes.

Introduction of exotics such as African catfish, Clarias garipineus, red pirhana etc are other threats to fish diversity in this wetland, he alleged.

According to Fr Peelianickal, a series of interventions such as application of high dosage of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the paddy fields, reclamation of shallow places and water bodies, construction of embankments with rubble pieces destroying rich biodiversities and natural habitat of fishes, encroachment of canals and rivers for road and culvert construction obstructing the natural flow, construction of barrages etc, all either for intensive rice cultivation or for infrastructure development, altered the ecology of this wetland and destroyed the rich varieties of migratory, resident and endemic fish stocks.

CLAMS IN TROUBLE

Similarly, the clam fishery is fast declining in Vembanadu Lake because of salinity exclusion and over-exploitation.

This species is of great economic importance as it contributes to the lime production in the country and forms the resource base of several industries. The rapid depletion of clams is also due to indiscriminate dredging of the Lake bottom for clam mining, he pointed out.

Given this precarious situation, the KVS prepared and submitted an action plan to Dr M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, Kuttanadu Study, suggesting that development of fishery resources was the only viable alternative for the farmers in this region.

Artificial stocking of natural water bodies is a resource development strategy that can substantially enhance fish production. It will increase commercial catches of the species in the lake and at the same time it can ensure livelihood security to the dependent fishery, Fr Peelianickal, said.

Similarly, promoting open water fish culture in lakes, estuaries and reservoirs in cage and pen enclosures is another area that needs to be developed.

According to him, pilot studies carried out by the Regional Agricultural Research Station at Kumarakom recently demonstrated that `pearlspot' is an ideal species for open water fish culture, owing to its high rate of growth and adaptability.

ROTATIONAL FARMING

Besides, Fr Peelianickal said, "the rice-fish rotational farming system enhances the income of the farmers by 40 per cent with significant saving on rice production and makes rice farming more organic and remunerative as input expenses go down with less dependency on chemical inputs". During the six-month period when paddy fields are lying idle fish is cultured and an additional income is generated for the farmers as well as agricultural labourers, he said.

Also, there are a number of unused ponds filled with all kinds of waste and marshy fallow land, which could be revived as fish culture land where fish could be cultured integrating with duck, rabbit and poultry farms, he added.

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