{"id":920,"date":"2018-10-21T20:16:21","date_gmt":"2018-10-21T20:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.test\/climate-smart-fisheries-business-model-worth-replicating\/"},"modified":"2023-04-19T12:40:29","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T12:40:29","slug":"climate-smart-fisheries-business-model-worth-replicating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globaldev.blog\/climate-smart-fisheries-business-model-worth-replicating\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate-smart fisheries: a business model worth replicating"},"content":{"rendered":"
New ways of doing business offer an opportunity to address the natural and man-made challenges that threaten local livelihoods in developing countries. This column reports on the success of one such model: climate-smart fisheries, which have been connecting small-scale fish farmers with credit, technology and markets. Support from NGOs is important for institution-building and developing an effective community-led business model. <\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n The North Eastern Region of India faces both natural and man-made challenges that threaten local livelihoods. Severe floods, soil erosion, landslides and sand deposition are causing the loss of huge areas of valuable agricultural land, and thus leading to livelihood insecurity. These problems are intensified by the increasing population due to thousands of immigrants to the region over the past four decades.<\/p>\n Credit coverage has also been low. According to data on microfinance in India (published by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development<\/a>, NABARD), the average loan outstanding per \u2018self-help group\u2019 (SHG) is 61,991 rupees in the North Eastern Region, compared with an all-India average of 150,584 rupees in 2017\/18.<\/p>\n But there are a few successful business models with high potential for replication, which have been developed by civil society organizations for strengthening the livelihood opportunities of local people. One notable example is an NGO called Kalong Kapili, which has developed a model for climate-smart fisheries.<\/p>\n Our study seeks to understand the model and its impact. The data for the research were gathered through in-depth interviews with the NGO\u2019s staff and the manager of a regional rural bank, as well as focus group discussions with fish farmers.<\/p>\n The fishery sector in Assam<\/strong><\/p>\n The fishery sector in India generates livelihoods for approximately ten million people. In Assam<\/a>, the fishery sector is an important source of livelihood that contributes more than 2% of the state economy.<\/p>\n Tropical climatic conditions in the plain areas of Assam favor cultivation of freshwater fish. But despite the vast aquatic resources, the status of fish as a staple food means that fish production struggles to match the ever-growing demand. Lack of skills and experience in scientific fish farming, lack of good quality fish seeds, lack of capital and lack of support from government agencies are the major challenges observed by fishery experts.<\/p>\n