India's small-scale fishers face unpredictable climate risks: Report

India’s small-scale fishermen and women face increasingly unpredictable climate risks. Rising temperatures, storm surges, changes in fish availability and shifts in monsoon and fishing seasons are emerging as serious threats to their livelihoods, a new report on the sector prepared for the proposed National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) said on Wednesday.

 

The report, prepared by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and other experts, also identified vulnerabilities, including insecure coastal tenure, poor market access, gender exclusion and uneven access to welfare schemes.

 

The report assesses the fisheries sector, maps stakeholders, and identifies gaps in the existing legal and governance framework as part of the initiation phase of the FAO-guided NPOA-SSF process in India.

  

The report recorded the experiences of fishing communities and identified climate vulnerability as an issue that must be addressed proactively in the country’s future small-scale fisheries policy.

 

Fishers reported rising temperatures, changing seasons, stronger storms, changes in fish species, declining sardine catches, unpredictable monsoons and frequent cyclones, highlighting the growing climate-induced risk in the sector.

 

Emphasising proactive action, the report identified disaster mitigation and climate vulnerability as issues that need to be incorporated into policies.

 

It proposed a nationwide audit of disaster-related infrastructure, identification of highly vulnerable areas and compensation mechanisms that can reach affected fishing communities. The adaptation measures should include stronger boats, better weather forecasts, post-disaster compensation, upskilling and alternative livelihood options.