Challenges faced by fisher women of south India specific reference to Andhra Pradesh
Prof. (Mrs.) Vijayakhader, Former Dean, Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural University
Women play a vital role in the operation of India’s fisheries, which provide needed protein for the countries’ people as well as seafood exports. Fisherwomen link producers and consumers via their involvement in every aspect of postharvest handling, processing, and marketing. Increased competition, declining resources and difficult working conditions make their work challenging. While fresh fish marketing and traditional fish processing remain the preferred activities of fisher women in southern states. However, with available post-harvest jobs, the constraints facing fisherwomen who want to advance their socioeconomic status beyond the sustainability level are overwhelming. The major challenges are traditional processing, scarcity of potable water, adverse climate, losses through insect infestation and low profit margins. On a personal level, many of the women suffer from poor health, hygiene and nutrition along with a lack of education, child care, and transportation to carry those long distances to their jobs. This can only be done through education about nutrition, health, sanitation, child care and raring on current technologies and best practices techniques.
In the fishing areas of the southern maritime state of Andhra Pradesh, women dominate the retail fresh fish trade for their livelihoods. The major recommendations to benefit the fisher women are: 1) better marketing facilities for fish venders; 2) appropriate training materials for fish marketing groups on post-harvest technology aimed at improved handling fish quality and value; 3) the most important step to increase the purchasing power by introducing supplementary occupations; 4) technologies for processing low cost fish in to value added products which are in demand from different parts of the country and abroad; and 5) in aquaculture extension programs for fisher women should be one of the target groups.
Vijaya Khader