Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: New Freshwater Fish Discoveries from India

(Feature Image: The new species of cyprinid from the Brahmaputra River. Source)

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Dams, Rivers & People · Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2025: Impacts of Dams on Inland Fish, Fisherfolks

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

World Fisheries Day 2025: Top 10 Positive Stories from India

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

World Fisheries Day 2024: Important Studies, Reports on River Fish, Fisherfolks

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Yamuna River

Yamuna Manthan 080824: Welcome Judicial Decisions for River Floodplain

(Feature Image: Yamuna floodplain downstream old railway bridge Delhi. March 2024, SANDRP)

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk · Hydropower

Clueless about fish passes: CIFRI’s Review of fish pass research in India

Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute (CIFRI) is a premier institute under the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Government of India. It is one of the only government institutes researching the status of inland fisheries and recommending steps to improve fisheries and well-being of dependent population. Founded in 1947, an expert from CIFRI sits on the Expert Appraisal Committee, (EAC) on River Valley Projects of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF and CC), recommending environmental clearances to dam projects across the country. This expert is supposed to look at impacts on fish diversity, fisheries and dependent population and judge whether the project is feasible or not based on its impact and possible mitigation measures.

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

WFD 2021: Of looming & existing threats on fish & fisherfolks

The fish species, fisheries sector and fisherfolk communities in India and South Asia have been undergoing a whole range of anthropogenic threats, sustainability challenges amid turbulent climatic factors casting a complex and uncertain impacts on the overall wellbeing of their future and survival. As part of World Fisheries Day (WFD) 2021, SANDRP has been tracking the critical issues. In first two parts of three part series we have already put together incidents of mass fish death and positive developments taking place in past one year.

This third and final part of the 2021 series focuses on remarkable ongoing resistance by fisher-folks showing constant struggle and firm determination. The report also covers relevant studies underlining adverse impacts of dams, hydro projects and climate change on freshwater fish and dependent fisherfolks. It has briefs on how impacts of pollution and encroachment of water bodies, mining, coastal zone development, invasive fish, aquaculture is gradually going up along with concerns and efforts to address them. Some of the pro and anti-fish, fisherfolks decisions by central and state govts are also compiled here.  

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Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

Inland Fish, Fisheries, Fisher-folks: 2020 Overview

Inland fisheries support millions of people and remains a major source of nutrition for a very large number of poorest people. This includes riverine fisheries, reservoir fisheries, wetland and local water body fisheries. Here we try to provide an overview of developments in this sector during the year 2020.

The overview has following sections: Policy & Governance in Centre, followed by in States, some positive developments, Covid-19 & Fishing Community, Fisher folks’ struggles, New Fish Species, Invasive fish, Fish Deaths & Pollution, Over fishing & Extinction, Studies related to inland fisheries.

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Dams · Fish, Fisheries, Fisherfolk

Dammed Fisheries of India

Far out in the estuary of Aghanashini, as Ismail Bhai spread out Indian Mackerel for drying, a carpet of silver spread out before us. “We fish in the river but the Bangde we catch in the sea also have their links to Aghanashini. We owe her everything”. Estuary of the modest, free-flowing Aghanashini supports around 5000 fisherolk. In the neighboring dammed Sharavathi, fish diversity plummets, so do dependent livelihoods. But rivers like Aghanashini are a rarity now.

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Arunachal Pradesh · brahmaputra · Hydropower

Open letter to MoEF & River Valley EAC: Review Recommendation to grant EC to Etalin HEP

The MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley Projects in its meeting in January 2017 recommended Environmental Clearance (EC) to the controversial 3097 MW Etalin Hydropower project in Dibang River Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. However, since the stage I forest clearance to Etalin HEP has not yet been accorded, the EC letter has not yet been issued. Hence there is an opportunity to stop EC to the project till the EAC reviews its decision.

It may be noted that Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) in its meeting on April 23, 2020, has decided in the context of Etalin Project: “As this is a large sized project in the Himalayas, inputs of IA (Impact Assessment) Division of the Ministry on whether environmental impacts of the proposed project and mitigating measures have been considered, will be obtained.” This provides an opportunity for the MoEF to direct the IA Division and EAC to review its decision to recommend EC to the Etalin Project.

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