Women make up 44 pc of India's inland fishers; FAO-BOBP report flags ecosystem threats

Chennai, Oct 22 (UNI) Women account for nearly 44 per cent of India's 23.12 million inland fisher population, while pollution, habitat degradation and competing demands for freshwater resources pose major challenges to the sustainability of the sector, according to a report. The country profile on India's inland small-scale fisheries prepared by the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) in association with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations emphasises the importance of making women's work more visible in fisheries statistics and development planning, alongside addressing environmental pressures and livelihood challenges affecting the sector. According to the…