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Abstract
The existing marketing status of fish fingerlings has been analysed with a special reference to
environmental concerns and awareness of the fishermen. The constraints have been identified and
suggestions have been made for the development of marketing of fishery on the basis of primary data
collected from Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal in 2006. Small and marginal farmers dominate
the fishery and about 10 per cent of fish farmers earn their major livelihood from fishing. Three to
four middlemen have been noted in the existing four marketing channels. Insignificant price variation
among the channels has been confirmed by low value (7.25 per cent) of co-efficient of variation
(CV). The fisherman’s share to consumer price has been found to be 62.80 per cent which is higher
than any other agricultural crop. The average elasticity of demand has been found to be one (approx.).
Infrastructural facilities are lacking. However, judging from the modest profits of middlemen and
their reasonable marketing margins, fish market appears to be competitive and relatively efficient in
the study area. The pollutants in aquatic environment are diverse and complex in nature. The main
sources of pollution are pesticides and leaching of dissolved chemical fertilizers, sewage and waste
disposal, retting of fibre-crops, processing wastes, etc. It has been found that degree of consciousness
about the environmental-related consequences on fish production and marketing is highly limited.
Market survey has shown that production of small local catch fishes has a declining trend. The study
has found that over-fishing and lack of production culture are the main reasons for this decline. The
study has suggested that a collective effort should be initiated for eco-friendly and sustainable fish
conservation, production and marketing with the existing resources, socio-economic and environmental
constraints, which, in turn, will upgrade the economic status and quality of lives of the fishers in the
district.