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Dried fish is an important component of the diet and fisheries economy of many communities in India. The long-term survival of this industry is at risk, threatening the food security and livelihoods of those dependent on it. The fishmeal industry is one potential threat, where large volumes of low-value fish are processed on a large scale to produce feed for poultry and aqua-culture. This pilot study, conducted jointly by Dakshin Foundation and the Dried Fish Matters (DFM) project, assessed the structure, supply chain and trends of the dried fish economy at Malvan, Maharashtra and its possible links with the fishmeal industry. The dried fish industry in Malvan is relatively small, with about 20-25 local traders and 8-10 traders who do not belong to the local communities – all of whom carry out the fish processing and drying themselves. These traders buy and process large volumes of fish, which is sold outside Malvan but within the region (i.e. Sindhudurg district and Goa). A separate chain exists where small-scale traders, largely women, buy fish from boats and sell it at the local market, both fresh and dried. A large diversity of fish is used for drying, the most common being mackerels, croakers and ribbonfish, with traders and retailers showing no preference for any.

Fish catch in Malvan has significantly declined in the past decade, reducing the dried fish trade as well. Overfishing and prevalence of fishing practices such as LED fishing and high-speed trawling were cited as the main reasons for this decline. Dried fish trade is possibly further diminished by the development of the fishmeal industry. We found that fish for drying may be increasingly diverted to fishmeal, as the latter is less labour-intensive and generates steady profits. The future of fish drying therefore appears to be under threat, largely due to a low and unsteady supply of fish and potentially due to industries like fishmeal as well. Further research into the dried fish economy and its connection to fishmeal is needed.