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| Adaptation and survival, or conflict and division: different reactions to a changing common property resource institution in a South Indian fishery |
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Reference |
| Coulthard, Sarah. 2006. "Adaptation and Survival, or Conflict and Division: Different Reactions to a Changing Common Property Resource Institution in a South Indian Fishery." Presented at "Survival of the Commons: Mounting Challenges and New Realities," the Eleventh Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Bali, Indonesia, June 19-23, 2006. Link: http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/archive/00001868/ |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| The Padu system, a traditional common property resource institution, has defined fishing access rights in coastal communities throughout South India and Sri Lanka over many generations. It is practiced in the villages surrounding Pulicat lake, India’s second largest coastal lagoon and an important artisanal fishery. The informal ‘Padu’ fishing system operating in Pulicat lake is a verbal agreement of traditional fishing rights largely dominated by the Pattinaver caste, which is the traditional fishing caste in Tamil Nadu. In Tamil, the term ‘Padu’ means ‘fishing place’ and the Padu system is the way in which both fishing spaces (Padus), and fishing equipment are regulated in the lagoon. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spacial Boundaries: Villages which border the Pulicat lake, situated in South-East India, on the state border between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The lake provides livelihoods to approximately 30,000 full time fishers residing in 52 villages.Social Boundaries: Padu has included only the traditional fishing caste ‘Pattinaver’ communities. To become eligible for Padu fishing rights and access to Padu fishing grounds, a fisherman must first be a member of the institution of Talekettu. Only males of Pattinaver caste can reach Talekettu status. For Talekettu membership he should meet three criteria: 1) He is a member of that village 2) he has reached the age of 21 years and 3) he is married. |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| Villages arrange the Padu rights amongst themselves within the village Panchayat. The Padu system is founded upon the specific fishing grounds or ‘Padus’, where eligible fishermen can place their stake nets for prawn catching. The allocation of Padu grounds is done through an annual meeting when lots are drawn by the village Panchayat for each fishing unit (a single boat with 3 men). The system restricts access to the most productive prawn fishing grounds and restricts use of the most effective fishing gears (Padu stake nets). Only eligible ‘Padu fishermen’ are able to use these nets. Those without rights must adopt other less efficient ‘Non Padu’ fishing gears, which include: Cast nets, Gill nets and fishing by hand. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| Each fishing unit of the village is allotted a specific place in the rotation of Padu fishing grounds. Using this method, each fishing boat has the opportunity to fish at least once in all the Padu grounds throughout the entire year. This is a fair system, which evenly distributes richer and poorer fishing grounds amongst all Padu fishermen. Once Padu grounds have been allocated to a fishing unit from the Padu village, no other fisherman outside the rotational system of Padu can fish. |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| The conflicts between the villagers and villages is the responsibility of the village Panchayat. There is sometimes a limited and temporary intervention in the conflicts by the state through peace committees and the police. |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| 1)The Padu system is becoming increasingly unstable as the population of ‘legitimate’ Pattinaver fishermen continues to rise. Padu system is upheld despite growing village populations and increasing numbers of fishermen; instead of increasing fishing plots, under the Padu system, fishermen decrease the amount of fishing per fisherman. This problem throws into doubt the long term sustainability of the Padu system in its current form. Both Traditional and non traditional Padu fishing villages are increasingly poor due to falling fishing income under the Padu restrictions of access. 2) Access to the most productive parts of the lake fishery through the Padu system are fought for by non-traditional fishers, and vehemently defended by traditional Padu fishermen. This has created a split between traditional lake fishermen and non-traditional fishers. |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| The Padu system is now opening up to villages of non Pattinaver caste. The caste specificity of Padu is breaking down and many non-Pattinaver fishing villages have either won legitimate fishing rights, or are currently fighting for Padu status. The second major change in the Padu system has been an increased specialisation to fishing for the lucrative prawn which is driven by large political and market forces. At Pulicat lake, non traditional fishermen have been actively encouraged by government policy to form cooperatives and start fishing for prawn |
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Purpose |
| Equal sharing of fishing grounds to avoid village conflict |
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Country |
| India |
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