Reservoir Fisheries Management: Experience of Tawa in Madhya Pradesh

In developing economies, open water inland fisheries not only play an important role in the nutrition for the poor, but also provide livelihood for many people engaged in the sector. In the case of reservoir fisheries we identify various types of institutional regimes. The Tawa reservoir in Madhya Pradesh is a classic case that has experienced various management regimes in the last three decades. It provides an ideal opportunity to comprehend the performance of different regimes and their implications for productivity (efficiency criterion), wages and employment (equity criteria) and fingerlings stocking and technology use (resource sustainability criteria) across different regimes. Further, the paper details the management practices under the Tawa Matsya Sangh and emphasises that these practices should be integrated with an understanding of the resource base.