World Aquaculture Magazine - March 2021

52 MARCH 2021 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S .ORG Suggestions to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic During this pandemic crisis, the government must intervene and new policies introduced to strengthen the fisheries sectors. Policies may consider the suggestions in Table 1, along with the following additional recommendations: • To protect the livelihood security of fishing communities, an immediate relief package should be announced. This relief package should not be combined with the regular compensation provided during seasonal fishing bans currently in vogue. • Enlarging the present scope of work, migrant fisheries workers (unskilled and skilled) should be included under MGNREGS to get immediate relief during the COVID-19 lockdown period. • The government may waive previous loans to poor fishers and fish farmers or support themwith low-interest loans to refinance their existing debts during this pandemic situation. • Formulating appropriate programs/policies to cover production and income losses of fishers and fish farmers to continue the domestic fish supply chain and ensure fish farming operations. • Hygiene and sanitation must be maintained in fish markets and necessary guidelines should be issued to keep social distancing among vendors and consumers during the COVID-19 relief and recovery period. • The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) and concerned States Fisheries Departments may come out with a special package as relief measures for fisheries sectors. • During the period of ‘Crop Holiday,’ the compensation amount or alternative livelihood options can be encouraged by the government for small-scale shrimp farmers and hatchery operators. Government Announcement and Support The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply shattered fisheries sectors and placed the country in a lockdown condition. Although the Min- istry of Home Affairs, Government of India has issued the guidelines on the lockdown, agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, poultry, fishery and allied activities were exempted from restrictions (Ramsdem and Harkell 2020). As a result, laborers could go to work, markets opened, procurement activities undertaken, agri-input shops and agro- processing centers functioned and MGNREGS work commenced (Bhavani 2020). The lockdown has choked the breathing process of the sector by hampering farm production, marine catch, transportation and domestic and export markets of the country. It has increased the unemployment rate to its all-time highest over the past few decades. The movement of migrant laborers to their respective hometowns was due to the closing down of industries in the fisheries sector because of the increased number of corona positive cases in the country. Apart from that, the government has provided a relief package by which poor families receive free 5 kg rice and 1 kg lentils ( dal ) per person per month and provided free cooking gas cylinders for more than half a year (Economic Times 2020). Under MGNREGS, about US$ 13.5 billion was distributed among daily wage workers through providing jobs (Ray 2020). Recently, for inclusive growth of the fisheries sector, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in June 2020, which will be implemented for the period 2020-2021 to 2024-2025. This program aims to enhance fish production, double export earnings, improve fish consumption, modernize the fisheries sector under the Swath Sagar plan, formation of Sagar Mitras (extension agents), and Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs) (DoF 2020). There is a necessary requirement of independent comprehensive policies and schemes by the government for the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture industries to deal with the pandemic. Prior to formulating policies and schemes for the fisheries and aquaculture industries, the opinion of stakeholders should be taken into consideration. Positive and philanthropic care may be extended by the central and state governments, fisheries departments, research scholars/scientists, NGOs and Fisheries Cooperatives to strengthen the fisheries sectors of the country during this pandemic. TABLE 1. Policy objectives, type of policy responses and probable suggestion during the COVID-19 pandemic (FAO 2020 d ). Po l i c y Ob j e c t i v e s Ty p e o f Po l i c y Re s p on s e s Pr obab l e Sug g e s t i on s f o r Be s t Pra c t i c e s Supply Ensure sufficient Export restrictions Avoid pre-emptive export restrictions. Side domestic supply Expansion of domestic procurement Avoid expansion of stock procurement where stock levels are already high. Encourage market transparency and international governance mechanisms. Ensure food safety Import bans Avoid blanket import bans. Encourage travel and trade corridors, following WHO recommendations. Support producers, Input subsidies to expand production Avoid excessive subsidization, which may exacerbate market particularly poor/ Direct income transfers volatility. Encourage balanced and time-bound domestic smallholders support measures to maintain adequate production levels and farmer income Demand Contain rising prices Lowering of import tariffs Avoid excessive imports stockpiling. Encourage lowering Side Domestic price controls import tariffs. Encourage careful price controls design in partnership with private sector, if used. Support poor Cash transfers Encourage cash transfers and/or domestic food aid, consumers Food aid/ transfers adapted to the current context.