Sustainable fish stocks, fish taxa diversity and harvest status play a significant role in the welfare of the community of fishermen, whose human development index is not at par with that of the general state population, says a group of researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
Examination of the Human Development Index (HDI) based on health, education and living standards used to measure the status of the general population may not be enough to capture the complexity involved in assessing a community of fishermen. It is here that the study of resource availability, sustainability, technology adoption and infrastructure support assume importance, says the paper authored by Shyam S. Salim, T. V. Sathianandan, Kolliyil Sunil Mohamed, R. Narayankumar and N.R. Athira.
The researchers developed a Fisher Development Index on the lines of HDI, giving due importance to central issues in the principal occupation of the fishermen community. It showed that Fisher Development Index in Kerala is above HDI among the general population in India but lower than the index among the general population in Kerala.
