Institutional Arrangement in Fisheries of Brahmaputra River Basin

Riverine fisheries are of particular importance in the tropical regions as they provide food and nutrition to millions of people and support their livelihood. However, ever-increasing, multiple demands of water for irrigated agriculture, domestic and industrial supplies and hydropower generation have greatly impacted upon the river flows and riverine habitats and consequently the fisheries and riverine-fish-dependent communities. The property rights are the fundamental institutions of allocation and access. Various factors like size of the river stretch and wetlands, traditional and customary rights, physiographic dimensions, accessibility and river connection etc. are the determining variables for the nature of property rights. An attempt has been made based on the experience and understanding developed in the context of the fisheries management in Brahmaputra River and its associated floodplain wetland of Assam. This article describes institutional arrangement in the frame work of stakeholders’ mechanism of access to utilize the Brahmaputra River and its associated floodplain wetland system for outcomes (positive or negative). The main focus of the study is to address the ownership and control rights in fisheries of Brahmaputra River and the legal framework for its access and allocation. The need of the hour is that the governance system needs to deal with diversity, complexity, dynamics and the varying scales of action