I- THE ROLE OF FISHERIES I N RURAL NON- FARM EMPLOYMENT

Fish capture and culture can play significant role in providing employment opportunities, improving nutrition level, alleviating poverty and protecting environment in rural areas.

Fish capture and culture activities do not cause pressure on limited arable land and fresh water resources. Fish are considered water user rather than water consumer. Fish culture is practices in numerable land and can be used to control aquatic plants in water channels. Land based (ponds), water based (cages) and integrated (with rice, ducks and animals) fish farming provide considerable potentialities to improve situation in rural areas.

Development fish capture and culture will lead to create further employment opportunities. These include:

    Boat building and repairing.

    Fishing nets making.

    Engines repairing.

    Ice making and cold storage.

    Cage manufacturing.

    Aeration and other aquaculture equipments manufacturing.

    Fish feed manufacturing.

  Traditional fish processing such as salting, smoking, gutting, filleting and etc…

    Packing.

     -Hatcharies to produce fish fry for fish farms.

-Transportation and marketing activities.            

It is reported that about five persons serve one fish producer i.e. fisherman or fish farmer.          

PROPOSED STUDIES

    To investigate the potentialities for fish capture and culture in rural areas.

    To identify the proper ways and means to exploit the existing potentialities.

    To identify the proper policies and institutions required to implement development programmes. This includes capacity building.     

   - MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

Recognising the vital role of fisheries for employment, food supply, poverty alleviation and environment protection in the rural areas the water management policies should consider the interest of fisheries. This means to insure water requirements for aquaculture projects as well as different water bodies used for fish capture such as lakes and other water channels.  

PROPOSED STUDIES

To investigate the water requirements for fisheries activities in rural areas and include them in water management policies.