Climate Change and Marine Fisheries: Stakeholders' Perspective from Coastal District of Odisha, India

Abstract

The marine fisheries sector is severely affected by the impact of climate change. The small-scale fishing communities, their livelihoods and the infrastructure are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, but it has been occasionally investigated at the regional level. Climate change literature and various reports from government and international agencies indicate that Coastal Odisha is one of the hotspot regions for extreme weather and slow-onset events. In this context, the paper attempts to study how climate change affects small-scale marine fishers through a case of the Kendrapara district of Odisha. The paper attempts to understand the overall fish production scenario. It captures the perceptions of small-scale marine fishers regarding different climate and non-climate drivers through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The findings from the paper reflect that marine fishers recognize the impact of climate change on the sector in terms of dwindling fish catch, reduction in the number of fishing days, longer fishing trips and damage to boats and nets. The small-scale marine fishers also believe that the impact of climate change in future will be so severe that the sea might engulf their land and settlements.