Sarkar et al.

andȱ humidȱ withȱ temperatureȱ rangesȱ fromȱ 10 0 Cȱ toȱ Fishȱfarmingȱisȱcarriedȱoutȱalmostȱinȱallȱtheȱblocks.ȱ

15 0 Cȱduringȱwinterȱseasonȱandȱ35 0 Cȱtoȱ40 0 Cȱduringȱ However,ȱ Tapang,ȱ Narsingpur,ȱ Sonai,ȱ Borjalengaȱ

summerȱ seasonȱ withȱ theȱ relativeȱ humidityȱ 92ȱ toȱ andȱPalonghatȱwereȱindentifiedȱasȱfiveȱextensiveȱfishȱ

98ȱ percent.ȱ Theȱ areaȱ isȱ characterisedȱ byȱ tropicalȱ culturedȱ blocks,ȱ nearbyȱ Assamȱ Universityȱ Silchar.ȱ

monsoonȱ climateȱ havingȱ threeȱ distinctȱ seasonsȱ Aȱsetȱofȱquestionnaireȱwasȱformedȱandȱdistributedȱ

viz.,ȱ summerȱ (March-May),ȱ Rainyȱ seasonȱ (June-

amongȱtheȱfarmersȱtoȱcollectȱtheȱdataȱrelatedȱtoȱfishȱ

September)ȱ andȱ winter.ȱ Towardsȱ theȱ midȱ Aprilȱ farming.ȱTheȱquestionnaireȱcontainsȱtheȱinformationȱ

rainȱ cloudsȱ startsȱ coveringȱ theȱ skyline.ȱ Cacharȱ isȱ relatedȱ toȱ theȱ livelihoodȱ ofȱ farmer,ȱ technicalȱ andȱ

frequentlyȱ inundatedȱ dueȱ toȱ excessiveȱ rainfallȱ andȱ economicalȱaspectȱofȱfishȱfarmingȱpattern.

floodingȱbyȱtheȱriverȱBarak.ȱInȱtheȱlastȱthreeȱdecades,ȱ

AȱprincipleȱofȱParticipatoryȱRuralȱAppraisalȱ(PRA)ȱ

CacharȱandȱtheȱBarakȱValleyȱhaveȱbeenȱravagedȱbyȱ

wasȱadoptedȱduringȱtheȱvisitȱinȱdifferentȱblocks.ȱTheȱ

threeȱmajorȱfloodsȱinȱ1986,ȱfollowedȱbyȱtheȱoneȱinȱ

highestȱfishȱproducersȱasȱperȱtheȱquestionnaireȱandȱ

1991,ȱandȱmoreȱrecentlyȱinȱ2004.ȱGeographicalȱareaȱofȱ

withȱ theȱ consultationȱ ofȱ theȱ Gramȱ Mukhyaȱ inȱ theȱ

Cacharȱdistrictȱisȱ3,786ȱSq.ȱKm.ȱTotalȱ21,516ȱhectaresȱ

selectedȱ blocksȱ wereȱ alsoȱ identified.ȱ Participatoryȱ

ofȱlandȱareȱusedȱforȱfishȱfarmingȱinȱthisȱdistrict.ȱFishȱ

Ruralȱ Appraisalȱ isȱ anȱ approachȱ usedȱ byȱ nonȱ –

farmingȱisȱtheȱsecondȱimportantȱsourceȱofȱlivelihoodȱ

governmentalȱ organizationsȱ andȱ otherȱ agenciesȱ

ofȱ cacharȱ district.ȱ Theȱ fishermenȱ inȱ Cacharȱ haveȱ

involvedȱinȱruralȱdevelopment.ȱTheȱapproachȱaimsȱ

failedȱtoȱmeetȱtheȱtargetȱofȱfishȱproductionȱthisȱfiscal.ȱ

toȱ incorporateȱ theȱ knowledgeȱ andȱ opinionsȱ ofȱ

Asȱperȱtheȱdistrictȱfisheriesȱdevelopmentȱofficer,ȱtotalȱ

ruralȱ peopleȱ inȱ theȱ planningȱ andȱ managementȱ ofȱ

populationȱofȱfishermenȱisȱaboutȱ1.5ȱLakh.ȱWomensȱ

developmentȱprojectsȱandȱprogramsȱfundedȱbyȱtheȱ

alsoȱ haveȱ aȱ largeȱ contributionȱ inȱ thisȱ occupationȱ

GOIȱorȱanyȱprivateȱinstitutions.ȱDocumentationȱandȱ

(Ranfuȱ et al. 2010).ȱHowever,ȱtheyȱableȱtoȱproduceȱ

analysisȱ ofȱ fishȱ farmingȱ patternȱ ofȱ Cacharȱ districtȱ

onlyȱ21,500ȱtonnesȱofȱfishȱperȱyearȱfromȱtheȱdifferentȱ

wereȱ carriedȱ outȱ basedȱ onȱ informationȱ collectedȱ

waterȱbodies,ȱincludingȱtheȱBarakȱriver,ȱwhereasȱtheȱ

fromȱ170ȱfarmersȱofȱ20ȱvillages.ȱAllȱtheȱanalysisȱwereȱ

annualȱdemandȱareȱestimatedȱatȱ36,000ȱtonnes.ȱMoreȱ

carriedȱoutȱbasedȱonȱtheȱtypeȱofȱfishȱponds,ȱstructureȱ

thanȱ 165ȱ kindsȱ ofȱ fishesȱ areȱ foundȱ inȱ Assam.ȱ Allȱ

ofȱtheȱfishȱponds,ȱsizeȱofȱtheȱfishȱfarms,ȱvolumeȱofȱ

theȱ speciesȱ areȱ notȱ cultivatedȱ commercially,ȱ Someȱ

theȱfishȱponds,ȱvarietyȱofȱfishȱculture,ȱseedingȱrateȱ

speciesȱlike;ȱIlish,ȱchital,ȱkandhuli,ȱbalisonda,ȱputhi,ȱ

andȱproductionȱrateȱinȱeachȱfishȱfarm,ȱsizeȱandȱrateȱ

mirika,ȱ bhangone,ȱ nara,ȱ rau,ȱ commonȱ carp,ȱ grassȱ

ofȱsellingȱforȱdifferentȱtypesȱofȱfishesȱinȱdifferentȱfishȱ

carp,ȱsilverȱcarp,ȱbigȱheadȱcarp,ȱsingorah,ȱarii,ȱbarali,ȱ

farms,ȱnumberȱofȱcultureȱcyclesȱadoptedȱbyȱtheȱfishȱ

magur,ȱthilandȱmagur,ȱsinghi,goroi,ȱcheng,ȱkuchia,ȱ

farmersȱ inȱ aȱ year,ȱ totalȱ expenditureȱ andȱ profitȱ forȱ

shol,ȱ sal,ȱ japaniȱ kawai,ȱ kholihonaȱ areȱ cultivatedȱ

eachȱfishȱfarm.

commerciallyȱinȱCachar.

Furtherȱ volumeȱ ofȱ fishȱ pondȱ canȱ beȱ calculatedȱ byȱ

Data collection

equationȱ(1):

SurveyȱwasȱconductedȱinȱfiveȱblocksȱofȱCacharȱdistrictȱ

ȱ

...ȱ(1)

toȱcollectȱtheȱinformationȱrelatedȱtoȱtheȱfishȱfarmingȱ

pattern.ȱTheȱfollowingȱstepsȱwereȱundertakenȱforȱtheȱ

Where,ȱ

ȱisȱtheȱvolumeȱofȱtheȱpond,ȱ

ȱisȱtheȱ

dataȱ collection.ȱ Firstȱ ofȱ allȱ fiveȱ mainȱ fishȱ culturedȱ

blocks,ȱwhichȱareȱnearbyȱAssamȱUniversityȱSilchar,ȱ surfaceȱAreaȱofȱtheȱpond,ȱandȱ

ȱisȱtheȱaverageȱ

wereȱidentifiedȱwithȱtheȱhelpȱofȱdistrictȱfisheryȱofficer.ȱ depthȱofȱtheȱpond.

Thereȱareȱ15ȱblocksȱinȱCacharȱdistrictȱnamelyȱSilchar,ȱ

Productionȱrateȱisȱreferredȱasȱtheȱamountȱofȱtotalȱfishȱ

Salchapra,ȱ Tapang,ȱ Udarbond,ȱ Sonai,ȱ Borkhola,ȱ

harvestedȱinȱoneȱyearȱfromȱoneȱhectareȱsizeȱofȱpond.ȱ

Kalain,ȱKatigorah,ȱBanskandi,ȱBinnakandi,ȱLakhipur,ȱ

Itȱcanȱbeȱestimatedȱbyȱusingȱequationȱ(2)

Rajabazar,ȱ Narsingpur,ȱ Borjalenga,ȱ Palonghat.ȱ

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