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🌿 NABARD and MSSRF Integrated Mangrove Fishery Farming System

🌊 Discover the renowned mangrove forests of Tamil Nadu, a major tourist attraction and a vital ecosystem. Home to diverse aquatic life like fish, shrimp, and crabs, these mangroves provide a favorable habitat for development and play a crucial role in environmental conservation. They protect the area from landslides, tsunamis, and storms, making Pichavaram a biodiversity hotspot that supports the livelihoods of local coastal communities dependent on fishing and crab catching.

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Community and Livelihoods

Pichavaram’s population largely comprises tribal and fisherfolk communities. Traditionally, their primary livelihoods involved fishing and crab catching, but these activities provided only a meager and uncertain income.

🌱 MSSRF and NABARD Initiative

To improve the community's livelihood, the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and NABARD have implemented an alternative income project. They established a mangrove fish farming farm on 10 acres of land in the village. This initiative aims to provide a sustainable source of income while maintaining the water quality of the ponds used for fish farming.

🌍 Challenges and Adaptations

The wetlands of Tamil Nadu are critical habitats for various species and play a significant role in climate change mitigation. However, local communities face challenges due to irregular rainfall, soil erosion, and rising sea levels, which have affected their traditional farming practices and incomes.

🐟 Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture Project

The 'Integrated Mangrove Aquaculture' project addresses these challenges by converting unused saltwater land into productive aquaculture zones. This approach allows for the cultivation of commercially important brackish water fish, providing immediate and long-term benefits to the community. Mangroves offer protection against cyclones and storms, enhancing ecosystem resilience.

📚 Community Empowerment and Training

Following MSSRF's interventions, the Kadabalar community formed a group of 25 members to engage in sustainable fish farming practices. MSSRF provided training on breeding and cage breeding techniques, empowering the community to adopt these practices as their primary livelihood. They cultivated fish and mangrove plants in the ponds, which thrived and provided a steady income.

💰 Economic Impact

Through this project, the community now earns around Rs 3,000 per month from fish farming. Additionally, they practice CRAB FATTENING, raising crabs in special cages and selling them once they mature, earning Rs 500-1000 per sale. This initiative has transformed the lives of the Pichavaram community, offering them a sustainable and reliable source of income while preserving the vital mangrove ecosystem.