The wise fishermen of Tawa
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COMMENTS 
Hundreds of tribal fishermen in Madhya Pradesh have prospered after they formed the Tawa fishermen's co-operative, which ensures the sustainable use of natural resources, handles the marketing of the catch and the supply of boats and nets.
A unique experiment in co-operative fishing in the Tawa reservoir in Madhya Pradesh has brought prosperity to the fisherfolk here and proved conclusively that local communities are the best managers and caretakers of natural resources. The displaced tribal fisherman of Tawa have shown that where both the private and public sectors have failed, it is the 'people's sector' that works.
The Tawa dam, on the Tawa tributary of the Narmada in Hoshangabad district, was built in the 1970s. The dam created a reservoir that spreads over 21,000 hectares and submerged 44 Gond and Korku tribal villages. These trib! als were not rehabilitated, as it was not a priority for the government at the time. The displaced tribals were given a compensation of Rs 75-150 per acre of land and settled on the upper lands around the reservoir.
Nandlal of Jhunkar village lost the 10 acres of land he owned when the Tawa dam was built in 1970. He received Rs 750 as compensation from the government, which was barely enough to repair the roof of his house. Thanks to the co-operative fishing experiment, today he is the picture of prosperity. His son owns a motorcycle and is the president of the village fisheries co-operative.
Fishing in the Tawa reservoir began in the mid-'70s under the State Fisheries Department, and since 1979 under the Madhya Pradesh State Fish Development Corporation. Fishermen were brought in from other parts of the district and the state, but no one thought of involving the displaced tribals.
Then ! the tribals picked up fishing skills and turned to poaching fish. In 1994, a fishing contractor from Bhopal launched a campaign against the tribals and even tried to stop them from eating fish! About the same time, 17 tribal villages in the adjacent Bori Wildlife Sanctuary were told to vacate their lands for Project Tiger. This sparked off a movement by the tribals that started at Kesla village in 1985.
A conference of 1,500 people from 100 villages led to the formation of the Kisan Adivasi Sangathan (KAS). After three years of protests, rallies and negotiations, the Madhya Pradesh government handed over fishing rights to displaced tribals. Tribals from 33 villages formed the Tawa Displaced Tribal Fisheries Production and Marketing Co-operative Federation, which signed a contract with the fisheries. Six lakh rupees were sanctioned as seed money for the co-operative, half as an interest-free loan and the rest as a grant.
The co-operative soon became a commendable example of community management of natural resources and co-operative sustainable development. The co-operative's structure is two-tier. There are 33 primary co-operatives for the actual fishing. The catch is then handed over to a federation that looks after the marketing, stocking of fish seed, supply of nets and boats to the fishermen. This has totally eliminated middlemen and also created employment opportunities for many tribals.
The annual fish production in the Tawa reservoir was 393 tonnes in 1999-2000, up from 125 tonnes in the previous years. There are around 500 fishermen (twice the earlier number) and the reservoir sustains them all. The increased catch and successful marketing has resulted in an increase in annual income from Rs 6.82 lakhs to Rs 52 lakhs (as wages and bonuses). Three hundred and fifty families benefited directly while an equal number got indirect employment.
The achievements of the Tawa co-operative are the more remarkable because fish production has been increased without depleting resources or over-fishing. The co-operatives also ensure that the major carp -- catla, rohu and mrigala -- are not over-harvested.
The Tawa co-operative has banned the use of MFY (mona-filament yarn) fishing nets to prevent over-fishing. Fishermen observe conservation rules religiously. They observe a 'closed season' for two months beginning from June 16 every year. Members take a collective oath to refrain from poaching. This 'social fencing' has proved most effective for the conservation of the reservoir's resources and the co-operative epitomises 'sustainable use of environment'. The fishermen realise that their livelihood and that of future generations depends on the conservation of the fish, and they work towards this.
Contact: Sunil and Raj Na ain
Kisan Adivasi Sangathan
Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh
India