Socio-Economic Inclusion of Fishermen Communities, Chilika, Odisha

Orissa is endowed with water resources which provide potentials for development of fisheries sector. It has coastline of 480 km and continental shelf area of 24, 000 sq. km. There are 3878 fishermen village with 14, 80, 704 populations. The fisheries sub-sector contributed about six percent to the GSDP share of the agriculture sector for the year 2012-13. Traditional fishermen through their country craft contribute 15-20 % share to the country economy. Instead of primary stake holder of the contribution to the GSDP, most of the fishermen due to geographical isolation are alienated, vulnerable to natural disaster and subject to extreme poverty. They are socio-economically excluded. They have limited access to infrastructure, developmental assistance. Extent of poverty and exclusion are clearly reflected in their substandard housing and sanitation systems, their meager access to basic amenities such as nutritional food, clean drinking water, health care and inadequate transport services. The prevalence of diseases related to hunger and malnutrition is high in fishing villages, and the problem becomes more serious during monsoon period. Open access to sea allows the entry of bigger players into the fishing sector and wielding considerable power in the sector result in marginalization of the traditional stakeholders. This article attempts to discuss, how traditional fishermen are being marginalized with the entry of big players, superimposition of a modern, capital-intensive, specialized technology and governmental plan, programmes and policies for all inclusive development of fishermencommunities.