BACKGROUND

Under the World Bank trust fund for tsunami recovery, the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry along with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) implemented a project called Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihoods (FIMSUL) from April 2010 to December 2011.

The project was based on a scoping study done by FAO, World Bank and DfID, which has shown that by better management of the marine fisheries sector, there is potential for sustainable livelihoods enhancement and economic growth in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The overall objective of the project was to support the respective Governments in the development of a policy framework for the future management and use of marine fisheries in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

The process followed was a mix of stakeholder participation and expert reviews and analyses in seven inter-related Work Packages. Six partner NGOs enabled the completion of a detailed stakeholder and livelihoods analysis along thirteen coastal districts of Tamil Nadu and two districts in the Union Territory of Puducherry.