Publication

Abstract : In developing economies, open water inland fisheries not only plays an important role in the nutrition for the poor, but also provide livelihood for many people engaged in fisheries. Reservoir fisheries assume importance to understand the CPR nature of the resources and requires analytical framework to describe the management of them toward an equitable, efficient and sustainable end. A system, which delivers or ensures these, becomes a reliable response to the institutional requirements in CPR type of resources in general and reservoir fisheries in particular. In the case of reservoir fisheries we identify various types of institutional regimes. Each regime has its advantages and disadvantages in terms of allocation of rights, appropriation of the fish resource and distribution of income. In India, these institutions can be broadly framed into three categories, namely, state, private and cooperative managed regimes. Each regime has diversified activities relating to stocking, production, collection, transportation, marketing and distribution of products, income and profit. These factors are driven by opportunities and uncertainties, though. Madhya Pradesh state has thirty-two medium and five large dams has experienced various management regimes in the last three decades. We could identify and attempt to understand in this paper four different regimes; these include the fisheries department of the state, MPFDC (Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Development Corporation), Co-operative federations and private contractors. The attempt here is to understand functionaries and regimes change in the case of Tawa reservoir in Madhya Pradesh. The analysis contrasts productivity (efficiency criterion), wages and employment (equity criteria) and stocking production and technology use (resource sustainability criteria) across different regimes. Further, the paper details the management practices under the Tawa Matsya Sangh (TMS) and emphasises that management practices should be integrated with the understanding of resource base.