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Study on Casting Nets, Sustaining Lives: A Socio-Economic Assessment of Inland Fishing Communities in Kashmir Valley

Shabana Arjamand
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21013/jmss.v22.n2.p4
Abstract
The present study investigated the socio-economic status of small-scale fishing communities across five major fresh water ecosystems comprising Srinagar, Baramulla Sopore along river Jhelum and Dal Lake and Anchar Lake Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 474 individuals were selected through random sampling wherein 149 individuals were selected from Sopore, 95 were from Baramulla, 130 individuals from Srinagar.  Similarly, 60 individuals were selected from Dal lake hazratbal and 40 individuals from Anchar lake basin. The socio-economic status of these individuals was evaluated through personal interviews using pre-tested structured questionnaire. According to the result of this study the majority of the respondents aged between 40 to 50 years represented the most economically active segment of the fishing workforce. Literacy levels varied significantly among the study sites (p < 0.05), with a high proportion of fishers possessing only primary education or remaining illiterate. The economic assessment indicated that most households earned less than ₹15,000 per month, reflecting the vulnerable financial status of these communities. Inadequate returns from this profession forced many respondents to diversify into supplementary occupations, including labouring, fruit vending, agriculture, auto driving, and other small-scale businesses. The members of these communities face several socio-economic challenges like dependence on informal credit, inadequate institutional and extension support, limited access to modern fishing technologies, poor marketing and poor post-harvest facilities, and persistent social discrimination. The findings highlight the multidimensional challenges confronting inland fishing communities in the Kashmir Valley and emphasize the need for integrated policy interventions focusing on livelihood diversification, education, institutional credit, fisheries extension services, technological modernization, and social inclusion. Such measures are essential to improve the socio-economic well-being of fisher households while ensuring the sustainable development of inland fisheries in the region.
Keywords
Dal Lake, Fishers, Kashmir Valley, Poverty Alleviation, Socio-economic Status.
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