DFM Working Papers

Mapping of the Dried Fish Markets of Karnataka

Prashanth Ramappa, Prasanna Surathkal, Amalendu Jyotishi, Ramachandra Bhatta

Dried Fish Matters

In this report we present the findings from an exploratory analysis of some of these major issues in the context of dried fish markets in the Karnataka state on the southwest coast of India. The study was conducted as part of the Karnataka component of the Dried Fish Matters project. Two principal criteria determined our selection and exploration of the markets, namely the vertical and the horizontal or spatial flow of dried fish products. The vertical chain tracks markets in terms of the product flow along the different nodes of the supply chain, including the production, wholesale, retail, consumer markets, and also the integrated production-and -consumption market a feature observed in coastal dried fish markets. The horizontal chain follows the flow of products in terms of the geographical location of markets. Specifically, we explore characteristics of dried fish markets in the coastal areas and the hinterlands of Karnataka. The hinterland serves as a reference point for comparing the coastal regions with respect to the consumers of dried fish; their preference for species; seasonality of demand; source of fish; afford‐ ability and price differences. In this report, we attempt to understand some of these aspects through a market mapping exercise and value chain analysis of several coastal and hinterland markets. While our market mapping exercise may not be comprehensive, at least to the authors’ knowledge it is the only substantial studies on the Karnataka dried fish market.

Download: MarketMappingKarnatakaFinal.pdf

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/6JDV8W3I

Institutional Context of Marine Fisheries in Gujarat: A Review

Tara Nair, Himani Baxi

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 11

This paper is the first among the series of analytical write-ups that we plan to bring out as part of the Gujarat regional component of the Dried Fish Matters research project. In this paper we re-view some of the major policies and institutional arrangements that are critical for understanding the social economy of fisheries, especially marine fisheries, in the state. The paper is divided into two sections. In section one, we present a brief overview of the trajectory of the evolution of fish-eries sector policies at the national level since they broadly define the context of our discussion. In section two, we will elaborate on the Gujarat case. Our focus here will be to interrogate the broader philosophy that guides Gujarat’s approach to fisheries development in recent years.

Download: Nair and Baxi - 2022 - Institutional Context of Marine Fisheries in Gujar.pdf

HTML format: Institutional Context of Marine Fisheries in Gujarat: A Review

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/U3X4BN5M

Key locations: Dry Fish processing and trading in Bangladesh

M A R Hossain, Mirza Taslima Sultana, Sayeed Ferdous, Md. Samsul Alam, Rasheda Akhtar, Md. Siddiqur Rahman, Md. Shahjahan, Mahmudul H Sumon

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 10

The dried fish sector has made a strong position in the economy of Bangladesh as it has its appearance both on international and local markets. The large-scale fish drying and fermentation activities are concentrated in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet-Mymensingh-Comilla and Khulna-Barisal-Patuakhali region. Dublar Char in Sundarban, Khulna, and Nazirar Tek and Sonadia in Cox’s Bazar are the major and largest marine fish drying facilities of the country. Freshwater fish are mainly dried in Sylhet-Mymensingh-Comilla region. In the Chalan Beel area at the north central Bangladesh, in Faridpur and Kaptai Lake, smaller quantity of freshwater fishes is dried as well.

Download: Hossain et al. - 2022 - Key locations Dry Fish processing and trading in .pdf

HTML format: Key locations: Dry Fish processing and trading in Bangladesh

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/RMWITN5P

Dried Fish in West Bengal, India: Scoping report

Raktima Ghosh, Jenia Mukherjee, Amrita Sen, Souradip Pathak, Anuradha Choudry, Shreyashi Bhattacharya

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 09

The history of dried fish with its significance in the Bengal area starts from the medieval era. Dried fish got to India via the port cities such as Bombay, Visakhapatnam and Chennai by the inter-state and intra-state trades with the rail ways in the mid-19th century. Popularly known as ‘Shutki’, dried fish is emblematic to the cultural oneness of (dis)integrated Bengal wherein Bengalis either relished dried fish with uncompromising endearment or rejected it because of the repugnant odor of a decaying fish. The scoping research focused on two coastal districts of West Bengal; South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur.

Download: Ghosh et al. - Dried Fish in West Bengal, India Scoping report.pdf

HTML format: Dried Fish in West Bengal, India: Scoping report

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/5S2EUQEV

Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey

Si Thu Lin, Ben Belton, Wae Win Khaing

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 08

The Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey (MDFCS) was implemented by NAG as part of the Dried Fish Matters (DFM) project. This study was confined to the 8 states and regions in Myanmar where NAG offices are located. Data collection was taken between October 2019 and March 2020. The participants in this study were rural people who are living under the scope of NAG project villages. This study mainly focuses on fish (fresh and processed) consumption in the 7 days before the survey and per capita consumption per day, including the source of the consumed fish, location of purchase, method of consumption, and details of the consumed fish species.

Download: Lin et al. - 2022 - Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey.pdf

HTML format: Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/YDPZX5CJ

Living on the Edge: Perspectives of the small-scale women fish processors of northern coastal Andhra Pradesh, India

Venkatesh Salagrama, Arjili Dasu

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 07

The District Fishermen Youth Welfare Association (DFYWA) is a community-based non-governmental organisation working with the small-scale fishers and fishworkers of northern Andhra Pradesh since 1992, implementing activities focused on developing sustainable fisheries-based livelihoods for men and women. This working paper is the first in the proposed series, focusing upon the fisherwomen involved in dried fish trade covering the four northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. The working paper also takes a sideways glance at the potential impacts of the industrial fishmeal production on the small-scale processed fish production in the target communities. It is the intention of DFYWA to treat the working paper as a live document, to allow updating it at regular intervals, add more quantitative data as it is collected, and also use this as a baseline to understand and interpret future development directions in the subsector, both from within the communities and outside of them. The study, based mostly on primary data collection, is undertaken by several members and staff of DFYWA.

Download: DFM-DFYWA_RPT_Living-on-the-edge_2021-08-25_FINAL.pdf

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/LN78H83K

A Preliminary analysis of the social economy of dried fish in Sri Lanka

Dilanthi Koralagama, Shalika Wickrama, Anupama Adikari

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 05

The social economy of dried fish in Sri Lanka, an island located at the crossroads of maritime trade between Europe,East Africa, South and Southeast Asia, has a long history. Dried fish has not only been an important commodity traded within the island and among neighbouring countries, but it has also played a significant nutritional and cultural role in the Sri Lankan diet. Although a greater proportion of the total fish production is iced, traded, and consumed as fresh fish, it is estimated that 14 percent of the catch is preserved using simple techniques such as sun drying, salting, smoking, and fermentation, collectively referred to as “dried fish.” In Sri Lankan cuisine, dried fish is consumed as a main dish, as well as a condiment to enhance the flavour of vegetable dishes and rice.

Download: DFM_RPT_Dried-fish-in-Sri-Lanka-literature-review.pdf

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/9JJWZGXH

Dried fish in Cambodia: Literature review

Gayathri Lokuge

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 06

The literature reviewed in this report clearly identifies the role of processed fish in Cambodia as an important livelihood option, especially for the poorer segments of the population and women; as an important contributor to food security and nutrition; and as a cultural preference. This body of work is fragmented, however, as it does not focus specifically on the processed fish sector. Research that is directly about fish processing in Cambodia is marked by a focus on technical analysis, including the chemical composition of processed fish and the methods followed in processing fish paste and fermented fish. Some studies that analyze the fisheries sector more generally have included discussions of the processed fish sector, addressing a variety of themes – socio-economic conditions; culture; ecology and environment; nutrition; food security and food safety; and policy and governance.

Download: Lokuge - 2021 - Dried fish in Cambodia Literature review.pdf

HTML format: Dried fish in Cambodia: Literature review

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/PM4SV2R3

Report of the Scoping Study on Dried Fish Value Chain in Kerala, India

Nikita Gopal, Holly M Hapke, P Shruti, Jiswin Joseph

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 04

Dried fish has long been an important source of protein in Kerala, especially for fishing communities during lean season. It has also had a niche market among fish eaters residing away from the sea coast. Dried fish has been traditionally produced by fishing communities, when the excess catch is dried by the women of the households and stored for use later or marketed during times when fresh catches were unavailable for sale. This report communicates the findings of scoping field research carried out from 27th January to 1st February 2020 in Ernakulam district of Kerala and in Aroor, Alappuzha district (Aroor borders Ernakulam district). Due to COVID-19 pandemic related restrictions from about mid- March in the state, the follow up information was mostly gathered by communicating with stakeholders over several phone calls. The sites visited included a range of dried fish production units and sellers with respect to scale, technology and innovation are concerned. They included traditional dried fish producers and production yards (small scale, home based and large scale), traditional producers willing to look for better drying technologies, innovative dried fish producers and dried fish traders selling in traditional and modern conditions. There are a number of organizational variations, which also are “gendered” in terms of how women and men are involved therein. Interactions were carried out with several traders across the markets to get an idea of the different modes of operation different traders employ. A couple of enterprises using modern driers for drying fish as well as several sites where fish is dried using traditional sun-based methods.

Download: DFM_RPT_Kerala-pre-scoping_2020-10-07

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/EDKP2KCP

National Policies & Regulations on Dried Fish in Sri Lanka

Oscar Amarasinghe

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 03

This document compiles relevant passages from policy statements, regulations, agreements, and conventions that concern fish processing and the status of women in Sri Lanka, arranged by type of instrument and the various articles under each instrument.

Download: DFM_RPT_LKA-policy-analysis_FINAL.pdf

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/43KXWMDY

Key Zone Identification: A Study to identify the key dry fish producing zones in Sri Lanka

Oscar Amarasinghe

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 02

Identification of Key Zones was done with the assistance of Assistant Directors (ADs) of Fisheries, who are the representatives of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development for each of the fifteen Fisheries districts of Sri Lanka. This report compiles responses from a structured questionnaire, which included questions on the following: Major fish production areas; Major dried fish producing sites; Volume of Production of dry fish by type; Number of households involved in dried fish production; Distribution of employment in dried fish production (disaggregated by gender and work category); Fish marketing channels and the type and number of traders serving each location; Location and number of wholesale centers; Type and number of state and non-state institutions (civil society organisations, community organisations, women’s organisations) engaged in the sector; Key issues faced by the dried fish producers of the district; Changes over the last 10 years, in respect of volumes of production, locations, technology, marketing, etc.

Download: DFM_RPT_LKA-Key-zone-study

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/5INI5FHT

Development Interventions related to Dried Fish in Sri Lanka

Oscar Amarasinghe

Dried Fish Matters Working Paper No. 01

This Working Paper briefly summarizes development interventions by the National Aquatic Resource Research & Development Agency (NARA) and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MFARD) in Sri Lanka.

Download: DFM_RPT_LKA-development-interventions_FINAL.pdf

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/E2QEVMEZ

The Dried Fish Industry of Malvan: Supply chain, economy and relationship with the fishmeal industry

Trisha Gupta, Paloma Chandrachud, Muralidharan M., Naveen Namboothri, Derek S. Johnson

Download: Driedfish progress report-JULY 2020.pdf

URL: https://www.dakshin.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Malvan-Dried-Fish-Report-Final.pdf

Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/groups/dried_fish_matters/items/QFMEQDEP