The Dried Fish Matters (DFM) project marked an important milestone with the publication of its first research report, examining the dried fish economy in Malvan, Maharashtra, India. The report, emerging from a pilot study jointly conducted by Dakshin Foundation and Dried Fish Matters, provides insights into the changing dynamics of dried fish production and trade along India’s western coast. The pilot study sought to understand the structure, supply chains, and emerging trends within Malvan’s dried fish economy, with particular attention to its potential links with the growing fishmeal industry. By examining these connections, the study aimed to better understand the challenges facing traditional fish drying activities and their implications for local livelihoods.
The study highlighted a significant decline in fish catches in Malvan over the preceding decade, contributing to a reduction in dried fish production and trade. Alongside declining fish availability, the report identified the expansion of the fishmeal industry as another potential challenge to the traditional dried fish economy. The findings suggest that fish previously destined for drying may increasingly be diverted towards fishmeal production. Compared with traditional fish drying, fishmeal production can be less labour-intensive while offering more consistent financial returns, potentially making it an attractive alternative for those involved in the fish trade. These developments raise important questions about the future of dried fish production in Malvan, particularly as traditional processors and traders contend with an increasingly uncertain supply of fish and competition from alternative uses of the catch.
As the first research report published under the Dried Fish Matters project, the Malvan study represents an important step in advancing DFM’s broader research agenda on the social economy of dried fish in South and Southeast Asia. Beyond documenting changes in a local dried fish economy, the report draws attention to the relationship between fish availability, competing market demands, and the sustainability of traditional processing activities.
The findings underscore the importance of understanding how changing fisheries and market conditions affect the people and livelihoods dependent on dried fish. They also provide a foundation for further research into the economic and social transformations shaping dried fish value chains across the region.
Read the full report: The Dried Fish Industry of Malvan: Supply Chain, Economy and Relationship with the Fishmeal Industry (2020), published by Dakshin Foundation and the University of Manitoba.