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| In-depth study of pool fish pond in Bergram Hajhipara village of Birbhum of West Bengal. |
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Reference |
| Singh, Katar, and Saumindra Bhattadnarjee. 1990. "The Bergram Majhipara Common Pool Fish Pond: A Case Study." Institute of Rural Management, Anand, India (Working Paper), Link: http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/archive/00003664/ |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| In West Bengal, pisciculture has been in vogue since long. Bengalis are very fond of eating fish. It is said that even fish smell is sufficient to whet their appetite. Pisciculture is one of the emerging activities in the Birbhum district which has a high potential of development of inland fisheries, particularly fresh water culture. The common pool ponds in the village Bergram Majhi para remained dry for most part of the year except during monsoons and had been lying unused and neglected since long. In 1979 Tagore Society for Rural Development (TSRD) initiated the idea of reactivisation of the pond which had been lying in a very bad state since long. A Sabalaroban Samiti comprising all the households of the village was constituted to translate the idea into a fishery programme. The common pool fish pond of Bergram Majhipara is managed very cost-effectively and it benefited large number of poor people. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spacial Boundaries: Bergram Majhi para is a small tribal hamlet lying within the jurisdiction of Bolpur Sriniketan block in the Birbhum district. It is located at a distance of 17 kra from Bolpur and lies ay the side of the Bolpur-Suri road.Social Boundaries: The hamlet was first habitated some 250 years back when three tribal households settled there. Due to the existence of acute caste distinction and other social stratification, the tribal's had to settle in a desolate place, 0.5 to 0.75 km away from the main village of Sergras. Now, they have grown into an independent and cohesive community consisting of 44 households and 402 people. |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| In 1979 Tagore Society for Rural Development (TSRD) initiated the idea of reactivisation of the pond which had been lying in a very bad state since long. A Sabalaroban Samiti comprising all the households of the village was constituted to translate the idea into a fishery programme. The pre-inception activities like digging, cleaning etc. are normally done in February to March every year. Cowdung is then evenly distributed 1n the pond. Apart from this, after stocking the pond, inorganic fertilizer (single super phosphate) is added once every two years for the production of phyto-plankton. In addition, artificial feed consisting of mustard oil cake is also given. Protection and supervision is wholly done by the members of the Saaiti. For protection, they have developed a system in which each member would his watch and ward duty on a fixed date and time which are rotated among the members. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| A resolution was passed by the Samiti that 20 percent of the net profit would be deposited with TSRD for creating a revolving fund to provide loans to the members and the rest 70 percent would be used to procure rice for the Dharmagola (an indigenous community granary made by the tribal) for equal distribution to the members from time to time. About 20 per cent of each catch is equally distributed among the members for home consumption and the rest 80 per cent offered for sale |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| Not mentioned |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| The most commonly followed marketing channel was: producer or local trader —> commission agent —> retailer —> consumer. Fishers do not have any say in determining the price of their catch and that the price was solely determined by the conmission agents.The rates of commission of commission agents are high. The existence of such a high rate of return shows lack of perfect competition in the market or oligopsonistic tendency among the commission agents. According to some fishers, they have not been provided with any guidance, and financial or other assistance by the block or district level government officials till date. |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| Not mentioned |
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Purpose |
| Reactivisation of the pond fisheries |
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Country |
| India |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-11/1990 |
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