Opportunities of community capacity building on ornamental fisheries in India

Abstract

The focus of this article is to evaluate the determinants where capacity building on ornamental fisheries would be of benefit for the resource users. It is argued that self-awareness on the potential of the resources available (ornamental value of fishes, demand in national and international trade, harvest and post-harvest techniques) and the interest to perform ornamental fisheries (ornamental fish collection, Live fish keeping, Feeding, Acclimatization, Packing and Disease Management) is associated with self-determined motivation. The responses of a sample of Indigenous communities or Scheduled Tribes (N= 154) of two clans (Kadars and Malayars) associated with fisheries in Vazhachal forest division in Kerala, South India are examined. The tribes are asked about their awareness on the ornamental value of fishes caught by them from the river Chalakkudy, their interest to attend trainings on ornamental fisheries and interests to institute ornamental fish farming. The results show that there is no significant difference among two communities on awareness level regarding ornamental fisheries (Mann Whitney U test; p > 0.05). Community wise test statistics (Mann Whitney U test) on training shows that there is no significant difference in interest level among Kadars and Malayars to attend the training (p > 0.05). While gender wise analysis reveals that there is a significant difference between men and women in attending training on collection of live ornamental fishes (p < 0.05). Independent T test performed on interests in ornamental fish farming shows a variation in interest among two communities. The results indicate lack of awareness on the potential ornamental species and its demand in international or national markets restrains tribes to practise ornamental fisheries. Since the indigenous communities under study are distributed on the river side and the natural resources form the source to subsidize their life, utilising the resources collectively with its value-added characteristics can strengthen their economic conditions. Thus, capacity building can be the step forward to introduce these communities to ornamental fisheries.