Survey on the idle capacity of fish processing (freezing) plants in India - 2. East coast

The extent of idle capacity in the fish processing (freezing) plants in the east coast of India estimated by stratified random sampling and the factors responsible for the same are reported. The estimates of idle capacity of fish processing plants in the east coast for the years 1978 and 1979 were respectively 75.9% and 72.5% on the basis of 250 working days per annum and double shift per day. The percentage errors of estimates worked out to 6.9 for 1978 and 4.7 for 1979. The corresponding figures were worked out on the basis of 200 working days also. Substantial under-utilisation of plants in all the maritime states in the east coast accounted mainly to non-availability of raw material, high cost of production, shortage of power, scarcity of ice and potable water during peak season and frequent labour troubles.

Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) in Sunamganj district of Bangladesh: the nature of cooperation and conflicts

There are altogether 411 haors comprising an area of about 8000 square kilometer, covering 25% of entire region dispersed in the districts of Sunamgonj, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Hobigonj, Netrokona and Kishoreganj. Sunamganj district is particularly known as a district of haors and baors where a large number of people depend on fishing for their livelihood. Some people are basically fishermen and fish all the year round. Community Based Fisheries Management (CBFM) project has been initiated in this area to develop fishery sector as well as for the development of the inland fishermen of haor area. Healthy cooperation among the beneficiaries of the project is very much present and some NGOs are found working actively there to help the fishermen for the sound implementation of the project. But the influentials of different villages around create troubles and conflicts intentionally in the project area because of which fishermen cannot fish smoothly and the implementation of the project is getting hampered. Therefore, a kind of consensus needs to be reached among the inhabitants of the haor area and a powerful association of the fishermen should be established so that fishing may be undertaken in the beel without having any troubles and conflicts. In this article the conflicts and cooperation that are in existence in the implementation process of CBFM project in the haor areas of Sunamgonj district have been discussed. Some suggestions have been offered in the paper to overcome the existing conflicts impeding the smooth implementation of CBFM project in the fishery sector of haor area under Sunamganj district.