Economic Analysis of Trends, Direction and Fishermen's Stake in Indian Fish Trade

This study has analysed the trends, composition and direction of Indian fish export and has identified the reasons hindering ‘Direct-fish export’ by fishermen. Both primary and secondary data were used for the analyses. The primary data were collected from the villages around Chennai port. The overall growth performance of Indian fish export has been found positive and encouraging, though it has been indicated that reliance on a single item like shrimp is risky in the long-run perspective. Markov chain analysis has revealed that European Union and U.S.A. are the reliable partners of Indian fish trade. Garrett analysis has identified the ‘lack of financial support for creating export pre-processing infrastructure’, as the major reason hindering direct fish export by the fishermen. The government may extend a group lending scheme on lines of Joint Liability Group to enable the fishermen to take part in international trade. The fishermen may also be engaged in direct fish export through specially formed Fishermen Cooperative Societies. Fishermen Export Councils may be established at identified places for providing continuous guidance and training to solve export-related issues. Encouraging and involving fishermen in fish export would enhance the income of fishermen to a large extent.