AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF FISHING OPERATIONS IN COASTAL SAURASHTRA
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Date
2004-10
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JAU, JUNAGADH
Abstract
This study aims to examine various economic aspects of marine fisheries along coastal Saurashtra utilizing both primary and secondary data. Fishermen respondents with different types of fishing vessels under study were selected from Veraval, Mangrol, and Porbandar fish landing centers. Fish traders were selected from Veraval and Porbandar Ports. The primary data were collected for the fishing year 2003-04 by survey method. The information on prices of major fish species was obtained from Commissionerate of Fisheries, Gujarat, for the period from 1986 to 2003.
In order to achieve various objectives of the study, tabular analysis was extensively used. Moreover, Schafer’s ‘surplus production model (1954)’ was used to estimate the Maximum Sustainable Yield of marine fisheries. The Engle-Granger (1987) cointegration test was also used to know the extent of cointegration between the average retail prices of different fish species in Gujarat.
The major findings of the study revealed that the average annual total cost for a trawler, OBM and Dugout canoe was Rs 11.0 lakhs, Rs 2.23 lakhs and Rs 0.06 lakhs, respectively. Labour and fuel cost contributed the most in the total operating cost. The annual total catch per trawler, OBM and Dugout canoe was 35.3, 7.01 and 1.0 tonnes, respectively. The corresponding figures per trip were 1247.5, 45.6 and 4.45 kg. The average annual profit per trawl unit, OBM unit and Dugout canoe was Rs. 1.76 lakhs, Rs 0.31 lakhs and Rs 0.28 lakhs, respectively.
The maximum sustainable yield estimated from the trawler catch came out to be 4 lakh tonnes and that of OBM catch was 0.55 lakh tonnes in the state. Considering the share of all the types of boats in the total fish production of the state, the MSY of Gujarat state as a whole was rounded up at 8.11 lakhs tonnes.
The bivariate correlation coefficients of marine fish retail price ranged between 0.609 and 0.997. The highest correlation was found between Seer fish and Jew fish and the lowest between Lobster and Thread fin. Lobster had the least correlation with all the marine fish species. The price series for marine fish in selected fish species in that state were all 1(1).
Eight marketing channels were identified in the region. The fish were sold by weight, but lumpsome transactions were noted in the low valued fish. Due to advance lending procedure adopted by the marketing intermediaries, the fishermen had to follow the forced sale even at lower price.
It was observed that the cost of preservation and total cost of marketing was maximum in Prawns. The preservation measures taken for Ribbon fishes and Coilia were quite negligible. Overall, the marketing cost was found to be about 6.3 per cent of the retail price. The commission agent had a share of about 3 per cent of selling price. Business in White pomfret, Prawns and Hilsa was lucrative for all the marketing intermediaries. The marketing cost was very less in local fresh fish market and retailers retained a larger part of consumer’s price followed by wholesalers and commission agents.
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