The Gazetteers Department

Before 1956, fisheries activities in the eight districts of the Vidarbha region and the three districts, Chhindwara, Seoni and Betul, now under Madhya Pradesh, were looked after by an Assistant Fishery Development Officer posted at Nagpur while the Assistant Fisheries Development Officer with headquarters at Bhandara was in charge of fish seed collection scheme with Statewide jurisdiction. The posts of Assistant Fishery Development Officers were redesignated as the Superintendents of Fisheries with the Reorganization of States in 1956. Subsequently, the Superintendent of Fisheries, Bhandara, was placed in charge of the fisheries activities in Bhandara district while the Superintendent of Fisheries, Nagpur, supervised the work in the remaining seven districts of Vidarbha region. Both the Superintendents were responsible directly to the Director of Fisheries, Bombay,

FISHERIES Superintendent of Fisheries

With the addition of one more post of Superintendent under the Second Five-Year Plan in 1958 with headquarters at Chanda, the work in Chanda and Yeotmal districts was transferred to him. The post of Assistant Director of Fisheries was created with headquarters at Nagpur as a regional head for Vidarhha region. With this, the Superintendent of Fisheries, Nagpur, has control over Amravati district along with the districts of Nagpur, Wardha. Akola and Buldhana.

The Assistant Director of Fisheries is the planning, supervising and co-ordinating officer for all the activities of the department in the three fisheries divisions of Vidarhha region.

Duties.

The duties of the Superintendent of Fisheries, are as follows:-

(i) To carry out survey of new sheets of water to assess their suitability for pisciculture,

(ii) to stock tanks and ponds with suitable varieties of fish every year.

(iii) to construct nurseries and to nurture fry in them,

(iv) to form and supervise all the fisheries co-operative societies and to devise ways and means to improve the socio-economic conditions of fishermen,

(v) to investigate applications from fishermen for loan and subsidy from the Government,

(vi) to effect loan recoveries and credit the money into the treasury.

(vii) to associate and encourage fishermen to take advantage of different schemes of the department.

(viii) to collect statistics of fish and other data pertaining to fisheries and fishermen of the district,

(ix) to give technical guidance to the deep tank fishing operations conducted by the societies,

(x) to supervise the working of ice and cold storage plant, and

(xi) to supervise in general the work of development of fisheries in areas under his jurisdiction.

Fisheries Co-operatives.

Improvement of socio-economic condition of fishermen has been one of the main objectives of the Fisheries Department. Attention is focused on the formation of fisheries co-operatives. The first co-operative society named as the ' Sahakari Machhimari Samstha. Wadali' was registered on 26th April 1961. At present, there are three fishermen's co-operative societies functioning in the district. Apart from the activities undertaken by these societies, fishing permits to net out fish from the departmental tanks are also given to the societies. During departmental works, such as transplantation of finger-lings, induced breeding experiments, etc., members of these societies are employed on daily wages. Fishermen of Wadali society also sell marine fish (dried as well as iced) obtained from Bombay.

Monsoon season is utilised for making nets. This serves to keep the members fully occupied during the slack season also.

FISHERIES WORK DONE.

During the First Five-Year Plan, a departmental demonstration-cum-production unit of fisheries was started in Sakkar tank, Chikhaldara, with an area of about 12 acres. Stocking and netting operations were managed departmentally.

One scheme, viz., stocking of inland waters with carp fry was implemented during the Second Five-Year Plan in Amravati district. Survey of several water sheets was carried out and an area of about 462 acres was brought under pisciculture. Accordingly, Sakkar, Pohra and Chhatri tanks were stocked with 1,60,000 Bengal carp fry. Targets for survey, stocking and netting have almost been exceeded.

The Third Five-Year Plan includes the following four fishery schemes for Amravati district: -

(a) stocking of tanks with carp fry,

(b) assistance for the purchase of fishery requisites,

(c) grant of loans for the development of fisheries, and

(d) scheme for the development of co-operative fisheries.

The total outlay on the schemes is Rs. 1,00,936 for the district. During the first two years, the survey of water sheets covering an area of 950 acres was made and nine tanks, measuring 283 acres, were brought under pisciculture. At present, there are in all 12 tanks in which quick growing varieties of fish seed (6,52,000 carp fry and 250 fingerlings) are stocked.

Pashu Sudhar Society, Karla, undertook fish culture in Virgaon tanks in the year 1961-62 and carp fry were supplied to the society. Another society was also organised in Aahalpur City in March 1963. Fishing permission to net out fish from the departmental tanks is enjoyed by the Wadali Fisherman's Society only. Up to the end of August 1963, 9,500 kg. of fish have been netted out from the departmental tanks. In addition, successful demonstrations of scientific methods of fish culture to fish farmers were also given. Total revenue realised from the sale of marketable surplus of fish from tanks was Rs. 5,994.95.

Induced breeding experiments were started in Chhatri tank, but due to delayed rains, no success could be achieved. There is one ice factory at Amravati. Unsold fish is stocked in ice. Government have invested Rs. 1,500 in the share capital of Wadali society and Rs. 1,500 in that of Karla society. Managerial subsidy of Rs. 1,000 was also given to Wadali society.

Fishing Rights.

Fishing rights in rivers are not leased out in the district. Government tanks belong to Revenue, -Irrigation and Forest Departments. Some tanks are owned by local bodies like municipalities, gram panchayats, etc. Generally, the tank is auctioned in favour of the highest bidder, preference being given to the fisheries co-operative societies or fishermen. Moreover, the tanks are not given on long term lease to the fish farmers.

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