Resources, policy, and development: A case of fishing communities and turtle conservation, Orissa
Student name: Ms Vasundhara Dash
Guide: Dr Mala Narang Reddy
Year of completion: 2010
Host Organisation: IUCN India
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr N M Ishwar
Abstract: The marine and coastal resources of Orissa are one of the most
biologically diverse in nature due to the various lagoons, estuaries,
deltas, marshes, that line its coast. This region is also home to the Olive
ridley turtles, saltwater crocodiles, diverse mangrove ecosystems, and
several migratory birds. The area is endowed with important fishery
resources as well. Traditionally, the fishing communities have practiced
marine fishing through community based institutions but with several
developmental activities, and increase in the number of users in the
socio-ecological system, the livelihoods of traditional fishers is in
question and present institutions are failing to manage the resources
optimally. With a view of conservation of marine turtles, various
regulations on fishing activities have been imposed on the fishing
communities who have been kept out of this policy process. This has
further threatened the survival of these marine creatures, the effective
conservation of which depends on effective community participation as
well as proper implementation of existing legislations. There exists a
dynamic inter-relationship between the three domains of fishing
livelihoods, turtle conservation and other developmental activities, and
the sustainability of such a system is dependent on each of these domains
working in tandem and not in isolation. This paper seeks to explore these
inter-relationships and analyses the methods of management of resources
(both traditional and modern) by the local communities. It takes a
livelihood perspective to understand the problems of a given study area
and focuses on the study of commons through a multi-tier framework.
Keywords: CPRs, fisheries, Olive ridley turtles, governance, policy
