Optimal Size of Fish Pond for Socio-Economical Development of Cachar (Assam)

theȱextentȱtoȱwhichȱpoorerȱgroupsȱparticipateȱinȱandȱ sizeȱofȱaȱfishȱfarmȱplaysȱaȱveryȱvitalȱroleȱinȱdecidingȱ

benefitȱ fromȱ fisheriesȱ orȱ aquaculture.ȱ Theyȱ usedȱ aȱ theȱincomeȱofȱaȱfarmer.ȱInȱthisȱstudy,ȱanȱoptimalȱfishȱ

Giniȱdecompositionȱexerciseȱandȱcollectedȱtheȱdataȱ farmȱsizeȱhasȱbeenȱdeterminedȱonȱtheȱbasisȱofȱtotalȱ

byȱ theirȱ ownȱ survey.ȱ Theyȱ collectedȱ dataȱ fromȱ 43ȱ fishȱproductionȱinȱtheȱfarm.

fishingȱcampsȱbyȱconductingȱsurveys,ȱinterviewsȱandȱ

groupȱ discussions.ȱ Itȱ includesȱ recordsȱ ofȱ peoples’ȱ Materials and Methods

incomesȱandȱexpendituresȱinȱtheȱpreviousȱyear.ȱTheyȱ

Thisȱ sectionȱ dealsȱ withȱ theȱ studyȱ areaȱ (location,ȱ

usedȱstatisticalȱtestsȱ(anȱanalysisȱofȱvarianceȱandȱpairȱ

climate,ȱ geographicalȱ area,ȱ statusȱ ofȱ fishery),ȱ

wiseȱmultipleȱcomparison)ȱtoȱdetermineȱcorrelationsȱ

questionnaire,ȱprocedureȱofȱdataȱcollectionȱandȱtheirȱ

onȱtheȱroleȱofȱfisheriesȱparticularlyȱregardingȱincomeȱ

statisticalȱanalysis.

generation.

TheȱCacharȱdistrictȱisȱsituatedȱinȱtheȱsouthernȱpartȱofȱ

Stanleyȱ et al. ȱ (2003),ȱ reportedȱ aboutȱ theȱ economicȱ

IndianȱstateȱofȱAssam.ȱTheȱtotalȱgeographicalȱareaȱofȱ

effectsȱ ofȱ fisheriesȱ onȱ shrimp.ȱ Studyȱ conductedȱ byȱ

theȱdistrictȱisȱ3,786ȱSq.ȱKm.ȱTheȱdistrictȱliesȱbetweenȱ

Stanleyȱ et al. ȱ (2003)ȱ wasȱ mainlyȱ basedȱ onȱ nationalȱ

92°ȱ24’ȱEȱandȱ93°ȱ15’ȱEȱlongitudeȱandȱ24°ȱ22’ȱNȱandȱ

householdȱ survey;ȱ Stanley’sȱ methodologyȱ wasȱ aȱ

25°ȱ 8’ȱ Nȱ latitudeȱ 35ȱ metersȱ aboveȱ meanȱ seaȱ level.ȱ

qualitativeȱapproachȱonȱaȱcountryȱspecificȱbasisȱandȱ

Totalȱ populationȱ ofȱ Cacharȱ districtȱ isȱ 17,ȱ 36,319ȱ asȱ

isȱseenȱasȱtheȱbestȱoptionȱforȱappraisingȱaquaculture’sȱ

perȱCensusȱ2011.ȱAverageȱdensityȱisȱ459ȱperȱsq.ȱkm.ȱ

contributionȱtoȱaȱregionalȱeconomy.

TheȱlocationȱofȱCacharȱdistrictȱisȱshownȱinȱFigureȱ1.

Likewise,ȱ Olasunkanmiȱ (2012)ȱ reportedȱ aboutȱ theȱ

economicȱ analysisȱ ofȱ fishȱ farmingȱ inȱ Osunȱ State,ȱ

South-Westernȱ Nigeria.ȱ Theȱ dataȱ wereȱ collectedȱ

fromȱ seventyȱ twoȱ randomlyȱ selectedȱ fishȱ farms.ȱ

Dataȱwereȱanalyzedȱusingȱdescriptiveȱstatistics,ȱcostsȱ

andȱreturns,ȱasȱwellȱasȱmultipleȱregressionȱanalysis.ȱ

Chakravarttyȱ et al. ȱ(2012)ȱworkedȱonȱtheȱfishȱdiversityȱ

withȱ specialȱ referenceȱ toȱ theȱ classifiedȱ ornamentalȱ

fishesȱ andȱ theirȱ prospectsȱ inȱ theȱ Kaplaȱ Beelȱ ofȱ

BarpetaȱDistrict.ȱDeyȱ et al. ȱ(2005)ȱconductedȱstudiesȱ

ofȱdisaggregatingȱconsumptionȱofȱfishȱatȱtheȱnationalȱ

levelȱ acrossȱ differentȱ incomeȱ groupsȱ andȱ differentȱ

speciesȱofȱfishes.ȱInȱmethodology,ȱtheyȱusedȱmulti-

commodityȱmodel,ȱthree-stageȱbudgetingȱnetwork,ȱ

quadraticȱ almostȱ idealȱ demandȱ systemȱ (QUAIDS)ȱ

model,ȱ regressionȱ analysis,ȱ Duncan’sȱ Multipleȱ

RangeȱTestȱ(DMRT).ȱAigaȱ et al . (2009)ȱstudiedȱaboutȱ

theȱcontributionȱofȱsmall-scaleȱfisheriesȱtoȱreducingȱ

malnutrition.

Figure 1. Cachar District Map

Despiteȱ theȱ vastȱ aquaticȱ resources,ȱAssamȱ hasȱ notȱ

TheȱdistinguishingȱfeatureȱofȱtheȱclimateȱofȱCacharȱ

beenȱableȱtoȱproduceȱampleȱfishȱtoȱcaterȱtoȱtheȱneedsȱ

isȱcopiousȱrainfallȱbetweenȱMarchȱandȱMay.ȱCacharȱ

ofȱitsȱeverȱincreasingȱpopulation.ȱAssam’sȱshareȱofȱ

districtȱ receivesȱ anȱ averageȱ annualȱ rainfallȱ ofȱ 3000ȱ

theȱtotalȱinlandȱfishȱproductionȱinȱIndiaȱisȱ6.55%.ȱTheȱ

mmȱinȱaȱyear.ȱClimateȱofȱtheȱvalleyȱisȱgenerallyȱhotȱ

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