Good practices of civil society organizations in supporting small-scale fisheries in South-east India

This paper presents a case study of the small-scale fisheries of Nagapattinam and Karaikaldistricts in Tamil Nadu, India, showing the relevance of civil society organizations (CSOs)in the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). The SSF Guidelines refer to the need to enhance the capacity of small-scale fishing communities in order to enable them to participate in decision-making and organizational development. CSOs representing small-scale fishers and fishworkers played a key role in the development of the SSF Guidelines and, with regard to implementation, they should remain the main drivers of change. The study covered four major types of institutions: traditional village councils, cooperatives, self-help groups and Non-governmental Organizations. While all four types occupy their own niche in the fisheries environment, the study shows that the village councils (or ur panchayats) are the most significant institution for small-scale fisheries(although others can play important roles as well). The study also identifies important actions taken, including strengthening small-scale fishers’ opportunities to market their catches for fair prices, ensuring equitable access to tsunami relief and rehabilitation, and defending the coastal area and traditional tenure rights. The authors note that local CSO action needs to be linked to larger national initiatives when issues are complex and cannot be resolved merely by local action. This is of great importance in a large federal nation like India where decision-making takes place at different scale levels.