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T h e S to ry o f S a m u dr a m Wo mens Fed erat i o n

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Fishing for Innovation:

The Story of Samudram Womens Federation, Odisha
Joseph Satish V1
Nishant Kumar2
Jeevan J. Arakal3
1. Introduction
Meet Mrs. Usha Rani Behera, waiting for her daughter to return from her computer skills training
which she attends after her regular college classes. Being a member of the Maa Sarala Self Help
Group (SHG) in Balidia village of Puri district in Odisha has improved Usha Ranis socioeconomic
status dramatically. She had initially availed of a loan to purchase fishing nets for her husband. With
regular earnings from good catch, she not only repaid the loan but also managed to send her children
to college.
Meet, Mrs A Rajamma. When she was divorced, Mrs. A Rajamma was left to fend for herself and her
young sons. Today, she heads the Jai Maa Santoshi SHG in Kotturu village, Ganjam District, and
leads 15 women in trading fish. The group has availed a loan of Rs 50,000 from the Integrated
Coastal Zone Management Program (ICZMP) to support their business. Rajamma is confident that
she and her sons will lead a comfortable life thanks to the regular income from the fish trade.
Usha Rani and Rajamma live nearly 150 km apart and have never met each other. But they are both
members of Samudram Womens Fishing Federation. Their stories today are representative of what
close to 4000 other women are experiencing in Odisha.
2. Traditional Marine Fishing in Odisha
2.1 The Marine Fish Sector in Odisha
Odisha is a state located on the eastern coast of India. With six districts along its 480 km long
coastline, the richly endowed marine ecosystem of the Bay of Bengal provides for the livelihoods of
close to 120 thousand fishing households. The total marine fishing population is not too large
compared to the total population of Odisha but fishing continues to be the traditional occupation for
the poorest households of the coastal hamlets. The changing patterns of fish production in the past
two decades have seriously affected the artisanal (traditional) fishing community which accounts for
more than 80 per cent of all fisher-folk.

1. Joseph Satish V is Knowledge Manager, Livelihoods MANTHAN (Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar)
2. Nishant Kumar is Analyst at Microsave
3. Jeevan J Arakal is Assistant Professor, Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar
4. As of June 2012, Samudram had 3889 members with 237 SHGs in 52 coastal habitations of four districts in Odisha
Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsingpur and Baleswar (Samudram Annual Report, 2012)
5. Livestock Census (2013), Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Government of India
6. Handbook on fisheries statistics of Odisha (2002), Directorate of Fisheries, Government of Odisha

!2

2.2 New Actors in the Marine Fishing Value Chain

The modernization of fishing craft in Odisha started in the 1980s. As a result, the focus shifted away from
the fisher-folk (people dependent on fishing) to the commodity (fish). The contours of fishing livelihoods
changed from community based, ecologically sustainable systems to individually owned, commercially
exploitative marketing enterprises. While marine exports increased sector contribution to the economy,
the traditional fishing community did not receive the benefits of growth in the trade. 8 Further, several new
actors entered the marine fish supply chain pushing the artisanal fishers to the margins. An overview of
actors in the marine fisheries sector in Odisha is given in Table 1.

!
7

Trends in poverty and livelihoods in coastal fishing communities of Orissa State, India (2006), Food and Agriculture

Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

8
Fisheries statistics of Odisha (2013), Directorate of Fisheries, Government of Odisha!

Table 1 indicated that the marine fishing value chain itself was stable as far as the marine industry was
concerned but the scenario was bleak for the traditional fishers. Despite being the primary producers,
the fishers could not access the profit margins due to the barriers created by the other players in the
industrial phase of the chain. Besides the entry barriers, the fishing community was also subject to
numerous other challenges.!

Adapted from Trends in poverty and livelihoods in coastal fishing communities of Orissa State, India (FAO, 2006) and Value

Chain Analysis of Fishery in Puri and Ganjam District of Orissa (Oxfam, 2004)!

2.3 Issues and Challenges that Emerged

2.3.1 Minimal Returns to Fishers in the Marine Value Chain!
(i) Perishable nature of fish: A fact exploited by middlemen!
The highly perishable nature of fish along with limited access to market and lack of credit tilted the value
chain heavily in favour of the buyers. Since most fisher folk were already indebted to the trader/middlemen
(who also acted as money lenders) they had little choice but to sell their produce to them and relying on
their decisions regarding prices and weight. Further, the payments to the fisher-folk were in irregular
instalments which also made them chronically indebted.!
(ii) Information asymmetry on market prices!
Absence of information channels for fair prices or knowledge about market demand reduced the
bargaining power of the fishers. The complete dependence on the middlemans pricing mechanism
removed any chance of demanding fair prices.!
(iii) Absence of transport and storage facilities!
The fishers lacked cold storage, processing and packaging facilities as well as transportation to reach
other markets. They were forced to sell their produce only to the traders or resort to distress sales for fear
of the fish becoming putrid.!
(iv) Lack of means to add value to fish products!
In the absence of processing facilities (like freezing, drying or salting), the fishers could not add any value
to the fish. However, the traders who procured the fish and sold them in regional and international gained
maximum margins while offering low prices to fishers.!
2.3.2 Social Imbalances due to Economic Suppression!
(i) Neglected role of women in the value chain!
The exploitative nature of the fishing markets and the increased emphasis on technology undermined the
conventional role of women played in the value chain. The fishing trade became a male dominated activity
with women reduced to being daily wage labourers. Women became dependent on the men even though
it was they who managed the household finances.!
(ii) Alcoholism among men!
The rise in marine exports followed by instant cash payments to fishers led to men retaining control of the
earnings and spending their income indiscriminately on liquor. Apart from food security being affected,
alcoholism led to wife-beating and ill health among men.!
(iii) Lack of health care awareness!
The fishing communities in coastal Odisha suffered from poor health and dismal literacy levels. Early
marriages and large families were common and AIDS became a widespread phenomenon.10
These factors further led to the marginalization of women.!

!
10

According to Pencode, nearly 30 per cent of women in one village (Pentakota) tested positive for HIV (FAO, 2006)

2.3.3 Ecological Eects of Rampant Fishing!

The introduction of motorized craft led to encroachment of the fishing grounds by trawlers and a serious
decline in fish yields. The state government enforced the Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act 1981
(OMFRA) to protect the coastal ecosystem and livelihoods of the traditional fishers. However, trawlers
continued their encroachment destroying the livelihoods of the traditional fishers as well as the spawning
grounds of fish. Rising surface temperatures in the sea also led to depleting fish stocks. The government
had also enforced periodic bans to conserve the coastal ecosystem. These factors limited the earning
capacity of artisanal fishers.!
In summary, the decline in marine fish yields, absence of market linkages, limited value addition,
indebtedness, etc. had seriously affected the livelihoods of traditional fishers. Further, the marginalization
of women had devastated the basic quality of life in the community.!

3. UAA Sows the Seeds of Change!

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The Ganjam district (including parts of Puri) is dominated by the Telugu speaking community. While they
speak Telugu, they are as rooted in Odisha as any other Odiya community. They also suffered from
widespread illiteracy, unhealthy living conditions, child marriages, hard labour, poor earnings, exploitation
by traders, and women bearing the brunt of hardship. One of these women, Chitiamma came to Kotturu
village in Ganjam as the young wife of a fisherman in 1981. As a class three dropout, Chitiamma hoped
that her children would have a better future. But she was devastated at the uninhabitable living conditions
of the village and took it upon herself to lead from the front.!
As far back as 1965, groups of young volunteers in Ganjam district had raised funds through cultural
programs and had come together under a collective called the United Artists Association (UAA). The
funds generated were used for emergency relief during calamities and for establishing educational
institutions. By the 1980s, UAA had led several programmes to empowering the disadvantaged sections
of Odisha.!
A chance encounter led UAA to Kotturu village when Chitiamma was leading local women against illegal
liquor brewing units in the village. UAA suggested that Chitiamma organize the women and the Kali Amma
Nari Shakti Sangh was formed. Chitiamma led the Sangh to its first success when the local government
intervened to stop illegal liquor brewing in Kotturu. The Sangh now focused its attention on other issues.
They realized that they were constantly borrowing money for fishing, health, festivals and even food. They
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could not rely on their men folk since they squandered their earnings on alcohol. Therefore Chitiamma
led the Sangh to increase the habit of thrift to lessen their dependence on money lenders. In 1992, UAA
had helped form the Orissa Traditional Fish Workers Union (OTFWU) to safeguard the artisanal fishing
livelihoods. Overtime, UAA came to recognize the symbiotic relationship between men and women in
building resilience into fishing households in Odisha. Hence, UAA united with Chitiamma to create a State
Level Federation of Women Fish Workers Organizations in 1993. Christened Samudram, the federation
was registered under the Societies Registration Act in 1995. Samudram thus embarked on a journey to
empower traditional marine women.!

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12

Telugu is the dominant language of the nearby coastal state of Andhra Pradesh
Even though illegal breweries were shut down, government licensed liquor outlets continue to operate in the fishing hamlets of

Odisha (and the rest of India).!

4. Nature of Samudrams Intervention!

An assessment of the Odiya marine fishing community revealed that their traditional practices and
marketing operations required upgrading. Samudram, assisted by UAA, decided to reform this through:
women owned community enterprise, value added products, increased bargaining power, improving local
fish stocks and links to regional and international markets through fair trade practices. The central idea
continued to be womens empowerment so as to catalyse the development of the fishing communities in
Odisha.!
4.1 A Business Enterprise Collectively owned by Fisherwomen!
It is important to understand Samudrams organizational structure before exploring its intervention in the
fish value chain. The basic units of Samudram are the SHGs at the village level, which are federated as
Nari Shakti Sangha (NSS). An NSS typically consists of the presidents and secretaries of all SHGs
functional in a particular fishing village. Membership in each NSS varies from 10 to 20. These NSSs are
federated at the regional level to form District Level Federations (DLFs) in each of the four districts of
operation. Generally, each SHG member deposits Rs 20-50 per month in SHG account during the
monthly meeting. A sum of Rs 50 from each SHG is deposited into the account of NSS annually. Similarly,
each NSS deposits Rs 50 per year to the District Level Federation. Besides this, all SHG members
deposit individual shares of Rs 100 in the DLF account. The amount saved in the DLF account is used to
meet the overhead expenditures of business operations. The leaders at each tier of the federation are
elected democratically as shown in Figure 1.!

4.2 Introduction of Fair Trade Practices during Procurement

The first challenge for Samudram was to eliminate the influence of exploitative middlemen during
procurement at the landing centres (Figure 2). Hence, the federation recruited trade supervisors termed as
Purchase Agents (PAs) to purchase fish directly from the fisher. The purchase is done at the landing point
through the conventional auction. However, the PA weighed the fish as opposed to mere visual estimation
by local middlemen-traders. The PA then announced a competitive bid price based on the daily market
data.

The introduction of Samudrams purchase agent in the marine fishing value chain gave bargaining power
to the fisher. Weighing and bidding at market rates were soon established as the norm.!
4.3 Access to Market Information!
Earlier, fishers sold to the middlemen-traders at whatever price was quoted since they did not have
access to the daily market rates. Samudram tackled this information asymmetry by a systematic method
for quoting competitive prices. The federation recruited a marketing manager who was provided timely
information about current prices for various fish varieties in local markets. The trade supervisor then
added overhead costs to determine the fair price for the product. Thus, fishers got the fair value for their
products through information provided by Samudrams marketing manager. The quoted prices for
different fish varieties were listed at the procurement centre, forcing traders to quote similar or greater
prices for the produce. This brought in a dramatic improvement in the terms of trade for the fisher-folk
(Figure 3).!

4.4 Access to Storage and Packaging Facilities!

Prior to Samudrams intervention, fishers resorted to distress sales regularly for fear of fish turning
putrid. But Samudram has set up procurement centres (owned and managed by women) equipped with
freezers and facilities for cleaning and packaging the fish before being sold to the traders. The procured
fish is transported in bamboo baskets with sal leaves or thermocol boxes depending on the time/
distance for which fish have to be insulated (Figure 4). Samudram has enabled the community to avoid
immediate sales at low prices.!

4.5 Processing and Marketing of Value-added Fish Products!

Based on UAAs inputs, Samudram categorized fish products into four value slabs export, high value,
average value and low value products. Almost 70 per cent of the total marine catch in Odisha consists
of low value fish which fetch a low market price. Hence, Samudram assisted its members in making
value-added products from these fish. With technical inputs for fish processing from various agencies,
members have started production of fish pickles, fried fish snacks and fish papad. Production continues
to be at a nascent stage since these products cannot be sold in the retail market without an FPO
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license.
However, there is an export and wholesale market for these products which is facilitated
through Samudrams website (www.samudramodisha.com).!
4.6 Team Management of Human Resources
Samudrams intervention in the value chain is governed by a team of local professionals at various levels
(Figure 5). Some of the key functionaries include:!

Project Coordinator is in charge of overall operations of Samudram !

Account Manager looks after the accounts of business operations in all DLFs, with the
support of an accountant. !


Marketing Manager is responsible for developing market linkages. He/she also obtains
their wholesale prices for seasonal fish varieties on a daily basis and calculates the procurement prices
at the landing centres. He/she is supported by the trade supervisor. !


Purchase Agent procures fish at the landing centre auctions on behalf of Samudram
and transports the fish to the procurement centre. !

Cleaning, grading and packing agent ensures graded packaging of procured fish !

SHG coordinator coordinates with SHG mobilizers in various districts. She also
assesses needs and organizes various training program for SHG members. !

4.7 Professional and External Linkages!

An efficient management structure, fair procurement practices, suitable storage, processing and
packaging capabilities and the capacity to create value added fish products was the culmination of
multifaceted assistance provided by various external stakeholders (see Table 2). These linkages have
provided essential inputs for Samudrams business operations.!

4.8 Market Linkages

Samudram has established linkages with traders in wholesale fish markets such as Chennai, Howrah,
Guwahati, Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakapatnam. Samudram has also been able to link with export traders.
In Howrah it has tied up with Star Fish Traders and Oriental Fish Traders; in Chennai, with RSK Exports
and Diamond Sea Foods (DSF); in Mumbai with SeaNet Fisheries and in Delhi, with KingFisher Exports.
In summary, Samudram has intervened at crucial points in the marine fishing value chain and refined
existing practices, knowledge and skills of the fishing community. This has led to various socio-economic
benefits which have been achieved through the leadership of local women, ably guided by UAA.
5. Impact of Samudrams Intervention
5.1 Economic Impact
(i) Rise in household income
In the two decades of its existence, Samudram has constantly provided fair prices to the primary
producers. In 2010, the federation offered 143.35 per cent higher price than the base price of 2005. The
household data of a sample of 200 families has been tracked by Resource Centre for Development
Cooperation (RCDC) every six months since 2007. As per RCDCs analysis in 2012, the average
household income had increased by 89 per cent on the average base income of Rs. 12,000 annually.
(ii) Access to institutional finance
Samudram has made it mandatory (in the bye laws) for all SHGs in the federation to open a savings bank
accounts and deposit their monthly savings regularly. As a result, all the SHGs have been brought under
the banking system making it easy to access institutional credit. Hence, SHG women members are
regularly provided loans for developing their business (purchasing nets, repairing boats, etc.). In 2012
alone, six nationalized banks provided a total of Rs 434 thousand to 31 SHGs towards this purpose.
Women have thus gained access to savings opportunities, credit services and insurance coverage.
5.2 Social Impact
(i) Leadership roles for women
Samudram is been governed only by women at all tiers. Women have also diversified their livelihood
options and have led small businesses in animal husbandry, rice processing, etc. An analysis by RCDC
has shown that 93 per cent of all women members participate regularly in group meetings with 55 per
cent of them participating vocally during the meetings.
(ii) Participatory planning for decisive action
Even though the coastal districts in Odisha are inhabited by people of various origins (Telugu, Odiya,
Bengali), the members of Samudram are united. For example, selection of sites for fish processing
centres is based on the community preferences arrived at through participatory planning. Furthermore,
the women are now in a position take collective action and organize agitations against issues that affect
them. In 2012, members from Jagatsingpur district triggered action against an errant bureaucrat who
misused funds meant for the savings- cum-welfare scheme.
(iii) Increased awareness of health and education among women
Samudrams programs on gender mainstreaming, health awareness and the right to education have
resulted in more girls entering higher education. Children who dropped out of school have been readmitted. Sensitization camps have been organized to increase awareness on HIV/AIDS with several
women undertaking voluntary HIV tests.

(iv) Increased skills and capacities of women

The members have confidently managed groups and business processes, negotiated terms with traders,
gained skills in fish processing and created value added products. Subsequently, women have gained
greater decision making power in their community.
5.3 Political Impact
(i) Policy advocacy for welfare measures
Samudram has enabled its women members to demand their rights by negotiating with the government
for policy changes. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Samudram and other partners (like NFF, OTFWU
and OMRCC), the Government of India has initiated several welfare measures for low-cost housing,
saving-cum-relief scheme and accident insurance for fisher- people. State government welfare schemes
like the ICZMP and the Mastyajibi Unnayana Yojna (MUY) provide social security and livelihood support to
the fisher community.
(ii) Womens representation in local government
The women members of Samudram have garnered the courage to represent their communities in the
local government (Panchayat Raj Institutions - PRI). Several members have contested local elections and
seven of them were elected as PRI representatives from Ganjam and Baleswar districts in 2010.
Samudrams political influence is visible in the construction of new school buildings, cyclone shelters and
concrete by-lanes.
5.4 Ecological Impact
Samudram members, through the assistance of UAA, have undertaken activities to conserve the marine
ecosystem. A key species which helps restore marine habitats is the endangered Olive Ridley Turtle.
Samudram has coordinated efforts to monitor and nurture turtle populations during the nesting seasons.
Similarly, Samudram initiated an artificial reef project to restore fish populations. The artificial reef has also
prevented trawlers from venturing close to the shores, thereby preventing indiscriminate fishing. As a
result, fish breeding has been protected, which has benefited the fishing community through higher fish
yield and returns.
6. Ensuring Sustainability of the Intervention
Samudram has improved the quality of life of thousands of households in coastal Odisha. Its core
achievement has been the empowerment of women to confidently and collectively enhance their socioeconomic status. However, Samudrams activities have largely been facilitated through financial grants
from various organizations. While Samudram has generated profits from fish and fish product sales, both
UAA and Samudram recognize the need for covering operational costs for self-sustainability. This need is
fulfilled through:
(i) Planning for business development
Even though experienced staff manages Samudrams operations, the members are trained on the
standard operating systems and procedures. UAA also employs the services of an external agency
(Margdarshak) to review and develop a long term sustainable operation plan for Samudram. Accordingly,
Samudram conducts quarterly business review and planning meetings which are attended by DLF
members and project staff.

(ii) Building cohesiveness in the community

Capacity building training is conducted for members to get a better understanding of
their roles and responsibilities in Samudram. Training in leadership and decision-making skills are also
organized to help members improve their strategies in dealing with internal and external stakeholders.
(iii) Networking with other partners and government
Members of Samudram are trained on negotiating with government officials to avail the benefits of
existing schemes. Regular consultations with officials of State Department of Fisheries and local
government leaders have also helped relations between the stakeholders.
The key to Samudrams sustainability would be a nuanced understanding of the market and feasibility of
business expansion, effectively managed by the women members of the federation. While continued
support of UAA is indispensable, a balance of local womens autonomy along with investment from
banks, donor agencies and venture capitalists can make the self-sustainability of Samudram possible.
7. Lessons for Fisherwomen Around the World
The rights of women in the fish value chain are heavily curtailed all over the world. Women face
inequalities in gaining skills, training, access to credit, bargaining power and management of fishing
resources. Policy is also biased against the central role of women in fish processing and marketing.
Samudram has shown that eliminating gender inequalities in the fish value chain can (i) increase
productivity and incomes (ii) improve quality of processing (iii) improve natural resource management and
(iv) improve overall quality of life. Therefore, policy makers and civil society organizations across the world
can learn some key lessons from the Samudram experience, which include:

strengthening womens roles through collectivization

building skills of women for increased productivity

training for taking decisions in managing enterprises

promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships

focusing on social welfare for empowerment of girls and women

promoting equal roles for women in managing the marine ecosystem

8. Conclusion
In 2010, Samudram was awarded the UNDP Equator Prize for poverty reduction through sustainable use
of local biodiversity. In 2011, Ms. Chitiamma, President of Samudram Womens Federation received the
Godfrey Philips Bravery Award for her efforts in the empowerment of women. The Samudram model has
been shared widely with different communities regionally and internationally. As long as the role of fisher
women continues to be rejected in fish value chain globally, Samudrams lessons will remain valid for
replication.