1) Do fishermen use
nylon for fishing nets? Is the requirement suggested by the Communities?
Though Traditionally Fisher men used thread based nets, now everybody has switched over to the nylon nets. This is the community suggested and also available in the market. It is also easy to maintain and durability wise also comes longer period than cotton threads.
2) Do they own the
land for the houses?
Fisher people has right over the coast. They can construct the houses wherever they feel closer to the coast. Because of this, the fisher people from tribal communities do not stay in one place. Hence, their habitations are not recognised by the government. One of the efforts of SAHANIVASA is to ensure the fisher people’s habitation in one place, so that the government can verify and recognise their habitation. We could able to mobilize housing titles in many areas and still it is continuous effort to assist theremaining areas. The places we have proposed for housing is the housing area for fisher people allotted by the government. After the eraction of huts, they will claim for PDS cards and individual titles over the land.
3) How much does it
cost to make one fishing net?
One net cost Rs. 4000. They will not buy readymade nets, which are costlier. The nets we are proposing will have 6 to 7 kgs used for catching the fish either in the back water or in by the kattamaram boats. These are traditional boats made by 3 – 6 wood logs. Fisher people will by nylon thread collectively and divide among themselves. Our support will go in the form of buying nylon thread and all necessary materials to make a full-fledged net. While we supply the material they will use their own labour to make the nets. This will save the labour cost on nets.
4) Are the repairs on
kuccha houses, how long will the repairs or
improvements last?
We support the material for kuccha houses and they build the house. All though the fisher man say the cost of the material is Rs.4000 (when Rajiv was enquired in his visit) in normal sense it cost Rs.1500 and the remaining they will be motivated to share in the form of labour, this will last for 2 years. In the mean time we are hoping to get the government Pacca housing program for all those houses we support.
5) What is the access
to fish to the different villages mentioned?
These are the villages located around
6) Does each family
need all varieties of nets?
Though each family need 4-5 varieties of nets we can’t afford to give them all. Instead, we support one family one variety of net so that the families can share the nets depends on the needs at season. That way they will work collectively. In the process, they will mobilise the remaining nets through their small savings.
7) What kind of fish
does each community catch?
Tribal community go for backwater fishing catches small and medium fish, which go up to half a kgs of fish size. They also catch crabs, shellfish, prawns and all seasonal fish like Jalla, Jilebi, Korameenu, Mukku Chepa (Telugu Names)etc.,
The Fishing community go by boats will also catchall varieties of seasonal fish along with above-mentioned varieties. Further, some of the special varieties they catch are Sandava, Vanjaram, and Muluva. These fishes will go up to 10 kgs. They also get Tekku, which goes up to 50 kgs.
8) Is it only in the
backwaters of
Though tribal fisher people involves in back water fishing backward caste (Besta and Pattapu) – fishing caste community go for fishing in back water and also in the sea.
9) Can we compare
with net proposed in [edit] the other small nets proposal? (Rs.
1,000)
When we propose net of Rs.4000, it is the net with 5-6 kgs net along with other necessary materials. Its not possible to have small net worth of Rs.1000 even the smallest net deserve 3 kgs net (Rs.400 per kg) and other materials for net cost and addition of Rs.1000. This will not be useful for all the time except getting small fish in some seasons. While we are giving it should be useful for them to earn their livelihood. What we have proposed Rs.4000 worth of nets can be able to help them to earn at least 100 to 150 per day average.
10) It is mentioned
that the tribals collect earthworms. What do you do
with earthworms? How are baits used when using nets for fishing?
While the fishermen go with big boats catch the fish they do use the earthworms while they are in the sea to catch big sea fish like Muluva and Tekku. Tribal community use earthworms to catch Muluva fish.
11) What's the
group's experience with this community?
APVVU has been working among fishing community for the last five years promoting unions among them, to address their issues. It has expanded the work in Tada, Chilakuru and Muthukur mandal after the Tsunami since no body has reached them, to address their rehabilitation problem in consistent manner.
12) What is the exact
relationship between APVVU and Sahanivasa?
APVVU is federation of Rural Unorganised Workers Unions from various sectors depending on the natural resources. It is the people’s organisation promoted with the consistent support extended by organisations like SAHANIVASA. In other words, SAHANIVASA is one of the NGO supported the APVVU process to develop.
SAHANIVASA is initiated in the year 1985 with the aim of releasing and rehabilitating bonded labour and promoting the Agriculture worker’s rights. Mr. Chennaiah is the founder secretary of the organisation and continued with the organisation till 1996. During this time APVVU process has been developed through out the state and it has became necessity to strengthen
the process taking up in full time basis.
It is in that context, Chennaiah has resigned for SAHANIVASA and have been working with APVVU. While SAHANIVASA is supporting for the development and Education programmes APVVU has been taking up with the rights based struggles for land, wages, employment issues linking from local to wider level. For example, when SAHANIVASA supports locally to build the awareness among the agricultural workers on wage and Employment issue ,APVVU link up the communities at National Level process and demanding for Employment Guarantee Act. That way APVVU and SAHANIVASA work hand in hand to promote the rights and development of vulnerable groups respectively.
SAHANIVASA is the NGO, which has FCRA, and APVVU as a Trade Union Federation of the rural workers do not have the FCRA. Right now APVVU is headed by P.S. Ajay Kumar as its General Secretary (Chief Functionary) . P.Chennaiah helps the APVVU administration on voluntary basis and also link up their struggles to the wider level.
SAHANIVASA is headed by P.Suria Rajini as its Executive Director.
P.Chennaiah being the promoter of both APVVU and SAHANIVASA- though do not hold any position in both of the organisations help their administrative matters .
13) Refinancing loans
is mentioned; these can be very large amounts. Where do they plan to find such
funds?
We are building Fisher women’s Cooperative Society with all the Fisher women in the area. This society will initially to strengthen women headed families in fish vending,
Though this funds are one time grants to the cooperative, get Rs.3,25,000 as This funds from our side is one time grant from cooperative but the cooperative will run this as interest free credit basis to generate interest among women to involve in
savings and credit programme. Once it is started, then they will continue to recycle the funds among themselves as part of fishing cooperative. We have such experience in other villages will be continuing to use in the similar manner in the proposed villages. We hope over a period of 5 years the fisher women’s cooperative society will play key role in the area of
self-sustaining the community.
14) What parameters
went into the picking the 12villages out of 22 villages that require support?
These 12 villages are most backward among 22 in terms of housing, recognisation of their habitation by the government, PDS cards system, basic amenities like drinking water and electricity problems besides worst victims of the Tsunami.
15) What is the
strength in terms of volunteers and/or workers of Sahanivasa?
In this area APVVU volunteers support the process. We have District Secretary Mr. Raja Reddy who takes up the over all coordination. We have Mr. Pakrudhin as a Mandal Organiser who will take care of the implementation of the program. Besides this, every village two women leaders and two men leaders volunteer themselves to implement the rehabilitation and also take up the campaigns for their basic needs. This way besides, full time staff of 2 people there will be 30 volunteers in the areas. P. Suria Rajini, SAHANIVASA Director will facilitate the total program.
16) Why does
"loss of nets" not equal to proposal for the nets?
262 nets are supported already, as there were some funds available in the AID project . Therefore, the remaining 695 families deserve support for nets.
17) No medical
facilities provided for community?
We Motivate people to make use of the Primary Health Centre facilities. Whenever there are problems raised in the community with regard to the availability of free services by the government doctors in hospitals, we work on those issues. For example, while Rajeev visited the village, we have come to know that the PHC doctors are not cooperative and also not help full for women when they go for pregnancy tests for attending the childbirths. This issue has already negotiated with the officials and got the assurance of delivering proper services. If they don’t take it serious, union will take up the matter to the higher officials and also expose the issue with media, so that the government will respond. Neither SAHANIVASA nor APVVU involves directly providing Medical facilities.
18) So many people
(700+) are going to be provided fishing equipment at the same time -- will this
not create chaos when going to fish? If people are going to fish only in turns
can they not share the nets?
All those people are going to get nets have lost the nets on which they have been depending on fishing for generations in the area.
Secondly, they go for fishing in different locations of the lake and also sea. Therefore, providing nets to all those who lost nets cannot create any disturbance.
Thirdly, they cannot go fishing in turns, as they have to catch fish in particular timings. The change of fishing timings will depends upon the type of fishing available in particular seasons. Therefore, they cannot go fishing in turns always. Even if some people go different time it is for catching different type of fish using different type of net. While we
supply nets, we will not be supplying same type of nets. Depends on the village size and type of nets they require, collectively people are organised to decide how many types of nets that they need. So that every family will get net but not the same net.
19) Different
communities might get into a fight because they fish on the same lake. Is that
a concern?
It is the second largest lake in
fisher people in the sea collectively oppose the troller’s entry into the fishing areas of fishermen.
20) Do they all have
boats?
Very few tribals have kattamarams and B.C. Community has boats sharing by 2-3 families each. Those who do not have boats go for backwater fishing in traditional methods.
21) How do they
divide the fishing area?
Traditionally there is understanding between the villages with regard to fishing area for the each village. There is no individual division of fishing area. It is always village wise divisions which have been practised for ages. They do go to other areas for fishing when they don’t have catch for 2-3 days in the area where they involve in fishing. even in such
occasions they get the permission from other villages. With regard to the big trollers, the fishing zones are divided at each district wide and it is monitored by the fisheries department. The big trollers always violate the laws. In such situations
fishermen involves putting pressures in government to implement the CRZ rules.