Rural Livelihhod- Modern Fish Farming

Successful fish farming depends on the pond ecosystem. The pond serves as a water storage structure and, as such, becomes a key asset of smallholder farms, supplying water to crops and animals. Crops can be integrated with the ponds in a multiple use system. Wastes accumulated in pond muds can be spread over gardens. Fish ponds in irrigation schemes add value to the scheme and serve as a back-up source of water when water shortage occurs or supply is temporarily cut off.  

We wish to motivate them to save and protect the ponds through different livelihood programmes. We will train- linkage- marketing- Government small loan for business-other business support- legal supports through advocacy to support their initiatives. A well-managed integrated farm system comprising several enterprises including catfish & Crab culture in ponds produces more products. In West Bengal and surrounding areas fish are very much popular items among larger pollution.

It is misleading to label small water bodies as unimportant and insignificant, because it is our common experience that little things carry more importance in our lives. However, it is not undeniable that small aquatique systems are taken as irrelevant to global problems and are ignored in nearly all globally important views and processes such as carbon processing. Small water bodies are inherent part of the biosphere and the interconnected network of global metabolically active sites. Ponds and local wetlands could support as livelihood option too in villagers’ lives.Fish farming business is very profitable and successful Commercial business in West Bengal, India. Fish has low cholesterol and calories so, it is very healthful and protein-rich tasty food. Fish food includes in 60% of Indian food menu. Day by day the commercial values of fish or fish products are increasing speedily.

 More than 100 rural people will be trained, link & networking with larger business system to produce and sale their fishes to upgrade their lives.

Local ponds owners will be interested more to start this profitable business along with protection of ponds will be encouraged among them. Ground Water recharge in the natural way will build up.

Fish is an aquatic animals possess with special feature like gills and fins.  Good aquatic environment produces healthy fish. Its aquatic environment affects growth rate, feeding efficiency, fish health and survival.

We can tap a maximum number of water body, Number of local institution can be formed and strengthened by conducting meeting and linkages with the other institutions,Collaboration with the technical institutions provides better practices and understanding and skill development of the farmers, Linkages with the local NGOs partners, local Government institutions and government departments help to form better policy,Capacity building in the mode of awareness campaign, trainings at proper time and at community level in local language may bring good quality of understanding,Skilled man power may be developed in the community, It saves time and dependency on others. Mutual understanding will be developed,Generates job opportunity, earning and profit,Optimum production can be gained,Proper marketing with good income source can be maintained and Protection of local ponds and wetlands by the local people.

  Social Factor

 Ownership, availability of land and land values, land regulations and rights, Availability of local staff with adequate experience of pond management, Availability of skilled and semi-skilled labourers, Availability of equipment, services and supplies needed

Howrah is situated in the Ganga Delta plain where the tributaries and distributaries of Ganga as Hooghly, Rupnarayan and Damodar rivers play a vital role for its economic development, agricultural sector only two sectors as Animal Husbandry and very recent Pisciculture have been included.Rural poor will be involve with the programme to boost up their livelihood and protection of local wetlands will be followed.

Change the altitude, enhance skill, knowledge of the fish farmers to upgrade their aquaculture practice. It also aims at bringing maximum possible unutilized and under-utilized water areas under modern fish culture operation so as to raise the standard of living of the fish farmers through improving productivity and profitability. Apart from achieving its own target its overall objective is also to significantly contribute towards rural development by improving rural economy, creating additional gainful employment opportunities, fighting malnutrition and preventing rural exodus.

We wish to motivate them to save and protect the ponds through different livelihood programmes. We will train- linkage- marketing- Government small loan for business-other business support- legal supports through advocacy to support their initiatives.  In West Bengal and surrounding areas fish are very much popular items among larger pollution. So sustainability never be problems.

• We can tap a maximum number of water body
• Linkages with the local NGOs partners, local Government institutions and government departments help to form better policy.
• Capacity building in the mode of trainings at proper time and at community level in local language may bring good quality of understanding.
• Skilled man power may be developed in the community, It saves time and dependency on others. Mutual understanding will be developed.
• Generates job opportunity, earning and profits
• Optimum production can be gained
• Proper marketing with good income source can be maintained.
• Protection of local ponds and wetlands by the local people.

Change the altitude, enhance skill, knowledge of the fish farmers to upgrade their aquaculture practice. It also aims at bringing maximum possible unutilized and under-utilized water areas under modern fish culture operation so as to raise the standard of living of the fish farmers through improving productivity and profitability. Apart from achieving its own target its overall objective is also to significantly contribute towards rural development by improving rural economy, creating additional gainful employment opportunities, fighting malnutrition and preventing rural exodus. The target groups of aquaculture extension programmes are usually socio-economically backward rural masses having a low level of literacy and technical know how, and are reluctant to bring about quick changes in their attitude.  Effective institutional support to provide the necessary technical services needed by the extension programme, such as site selection, pond designing, fish health check, pond environment monitoring, etc., are vital for programme implementation. This programme will support them to strat their own business and protection of ponds and wetlands.

Farmers have never realized the fisheries potential, traditional indigenous fishes’ catches are only done; no sufficient money or lack of money during the seed availability results in no stocking and unutilization of the water body; farmers could not identify the fish seed. Quality and quantity of seed is a major issue for farmers. Lack of technical resources person, institutions and service support also affects the production of the fish in the community tanks.

New research shows that aquaculture production will need to more than double again between now and 2050 to meet the demands of a growing population. With the global wild fish catch stagnant and the human population increasing, aquaculture is here to stay. The world, therefore, needs to get its growth right—and ensure that fish farming contributes to a sustainable food future.

West Bengal is traditionally a ‘non-vegetarian’ state, 95% people consume fish. As such, there is a very good market. The demand-supply gap is mitigated by importing fish from other provinces. Small fish from carp and wild fish are have more in demand. Government is taking interest in developing fisheries for the last 20 years. Small village ponds having less than 1 ha size are the largest in number. Up to 12 ponds may be seen in a village. Water is available throughout the year in all these private small ponds. People are now changing over to culture fisheries. Of late these private ponds are being given to contractors on lease as the owners are unable to continue this trade. Another trend of converting yielding paddy fields into fish ponds is also discernible. It is locally called “Bhery”. Local ponds owners will be interested more to start this profitable business along with protection of ponds will be encouraged among them. Ground Water recharge in the natural way will build up.

Fish farming business very profitable and successful Commercial business in West Bengal, India. Fish has low cholesterol and calories so, it is very healthful and protein-rich tasty food. Fish food includes in 60% of Indian food menu. Day by day the commercial values of fish or fish products are increasing speedily. Although the strategies and planning of the aquaculture extension programme are situation specific, some general steps may be cited as follows;

• awareness and interest should be created among fish farmers and non fish farmers for livelihood option
• demonstrated to maximum possible farmers to let them realize the case of operation, production potential and profitability.
• a set of suitable farmers should be selected initially and be motivated and guided enough so that they strictly follow the different package of practices as per the schedule.
• proper steps may also be taken to make available the critical material inputs at the pond/farm sites
• fish seed may be distributed free of cost or at concessional rate to the farmers at the initial stage. Proper attention may also be paid for extending fish breeding and seed rearing programmes.
• facilities for proper monitoring of water quality and fish health
• Self-explanatory/pictorial instruction booklets dealing with basic steps of composite fish culture, control breeding of common carp, techniques of pituitary gland collection, induced breeding of major carps, hatchery operation for carps, nursery and rearing pond managements, techniques of fish seed transport, etc., may be prepared, explained and distributed among farmers.
• Marketing linkage and arrangement of buyers

Primarily a Baseline study will be conducted, then a mid term evaluation will help us to understand our achievement or failure; we have to change some methods that time to make successful the programme in the end of the project. At the end of the project an evaluation by an outsourced resource person will be conduct to evaluate our success to replicate the model in coming future.

Currently we are serving more than 12000 people or more; next one year the number will be reach at 200000 and in next five years the may be rise to 150000 and/or more depending in terms of grants.

 

We are committed to social justice, sustainable development and human rights. The right to communicate freely is a basic human right and a necessity for sustainable development. Access to information is essential to informed decision-making at all levels. We are committed to the dissemination of information and promotion of sustainable development initiatives, in response to the needs of underrepresented and marginalized sectors of society.

Empowerment of the vulnerable section of the disadvantaged section; to provide basic Education, Health, Training, Recreation to the down trodden people and empowerment of women and adolescent girls of the Society. To secure “Food-Shelter- Work” for all’ is our dream.

we have manpower, strong management, experienced & dedicated volunteers and staffs to implement programmes. But lack of grants we could not continue the good ans strong programme activities for long run to see the expected results. Small funds within small time are some barriers for our social movements so far.

We are planning to work much more systematic way, more strong management, more diplomatic way and working as a Community Facilitator but not as a catalyst supporter to make success our small programmes.

Not applicable

Full time staffs- 02

Part time staffs- 06

Contractors/Volunteers- 12

Community workers- 20

Most of us are from NGO Background, well educated, well connected, well experienced and award winners. Most of us have more than six years working experienced in social sectors. Livelihood support programme are our core activities other than Human Rights' activities.

Not Applicable. Different community based organizations attached with us.

It’s a 12 Months community based training programme for the fish and non fish farmers in Uluberia Sub Division, Howrah District, West Bengal, India. More than 100 rural poor will be trained through this initiative to start their own/group business.  

Our Opportunity:  We can tap a maximum number of water body; Number of local institution can be formed and strengthened by conducting meeting and linkages with the other institutions; Collaboration with the technical institutions provides better practices and understanding and skill development of the farmers; Linkages with the local NGOs partners, Panchayati institutions and government departments help to form better policy; Capacity building in the mode of awareness campaign, trainings at proper time and at community level in local language may bring good quality of understanding; Skilled man power may be developed in the community ; It saves time and dependency on others. Mutual understanding will be developed; Generates job opportunity; Optimum production can be gained; Proper marketing with good income source can be maintained.

Training Methods are as follows: Scope of Fisheries in Rainfed areas; Fish Classification, intensification and their characteristic; Water Quality and Bottom Soil Management; Types of Culture Practices; Criteria for site selection of pond; Nursery Pond Management; Rearing Pond Management; Grow Out Pond; Fish Health Management; Integrated Fish Farming System; Cage Culture

We need funds to solve the problem; to upgrade the livelihoods of those rural poor through Fish Farming business as self employment. We need primary funding to start the programme. In 2nd step of our programme we may collect other funding or this profgramme may be some fee based and /or community supports will help.

We will partner with 'Uluberia Agro Producers Company Pvt Limited' to deliver the model of this business of 'Fish Production and Management'. They will be the local motivator as well and monitoring system manager to look after the programme and project successor. In coming future we will withdraw from that community and they will be facilitator toi run the programme among more and more people to upgrade their livelihoods.

'Uluberia Agro Producers Company Pvt Limited' is Farmer Association; we will make a legal contract with them for partnership.