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From Vulnerability to Possibility: A Workshop on Small-Scale Fisheries in the Ganga River Basin

19^th August, 2025

A Workshop on Inland Small-Scale Fisheries in the Ganga River Basin was organised to address all the issues and explore possible avenues for recovery from the challenges at ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal, on 18 August 2025. The workshop was jointly organised by ICAR-CIFRI, India, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), India and the V2V Global Partnership, University of Waterloo, Canada. The event brought together 75 participants, including experts from various ICAR institutions, representatives of fishers’ cooperatives, and community members. ICAR-CIFRI has been working for the past 9 years on multiple aspects of river ecology, fisheries, biodiversity and socioeconomic profiles, including ranching of carps, Hilsa and Mahseer. Further research has also focused on small-scale fisheries issues and challenges (SSF) in the river Ganga. The study shows that inland SSF are facing multiple challenges, including declining fish diversity and stock, disrupted river wetland connectivity, hydrological alterations due to dams and barrages and climate change impacts.

In their keynote addresses, Dr. Prateep Nayak, Professor at the University of Waterloo, and Dr. Basanta Kumar Das, Director of ICAR-CIFRI, underscored the critical role of SSF in sustaining biodiversity, cultural identity, food security, and local livelihoods. Participants noted that unsustainable practices such as off-season harvests, use of zero-mesh nets, poison fishing, and invasive species proliferation are further intensifying ecological stress. At the same time, socio-economic injustices continue to limit fishers’ adaptive capacity. Special attention was given to the emerging importance of small-scale crab fisheries, the status of small indigenous fish (SIF) and area-specific key fisheries in the Ganga. While crab fisheries show strong export potential, they are under pressure from heavy reliance on wild seed collection and off-season exploitation. Recommendations included strengthening community-based fisheries management, conserving key species, restoring wetlands and ecological flows, and advancing climate-adaptive strategies such as resilient species promotion, seed banks, and use of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK). For sustainable crab fisheries, the workshop emphasised the need to develop soft-shell crab culture, regulate off-season harvests, establish hatchery-based seed supply, and certify local supply chains.

Dr. Vibha Tandon, Director, IICB praised the initiative taken by ICAR-CIFRI for awareness and promoting backward pond aquaculture for the women empowerment through scientific intervention. She also appreciated the KMTS collaboration with ICAR-CIFRI in this noble initiative. She emphasized that, women fisher should gather scientific knowledge for the better fish production.
Mr. Lokman Molla, President of Kultali Milan Tirtha Society, lauded the initiative, calling it “a ray of hope for many women who have never imagined their small ponds could become a source of income. It’s a step toward self-reliance.” Rina Mondal, a participant from Kultoli village, shared, “I always saw the pond behind my house as just a water body. Now I see it as a means to support my children’s education and improve our diet”. Another beneficiary, Shampa Bairagi, added, “With CIFRI’s support, I feel confident to manage fish farming. I hope to expand it and even inspire other women in my village.”

The workshop concluded with a call for greater community empowerment through training, financial support, and recognition of local knowledge. It proposed an action framework centred on climate adaptation, stock assessment, participatory governance, and justice-oriented approaches to ensure the resilience and sustainability of inland fisheries in the Ganga basin, paving the way for a transition from vulnerability to viability.