The assessment of physical and financial losses due to incidence of diseases in aquaculture is essential to strengthen the socio-economic status of fish farmers. This study has been conducted in four districts (Nellore, West Godavari, East Godavari, and Prakasham) of Andhra Pradesh which ranks first in the production of freshwater prawn and second in freshwater fish in India. The study is based on a survey of 120 fish farmers who owned small (< 5 acres), medium (5-10 acres) and large (>10 acres) culture ponds. The study has elicited the geographic profile of fish farmers, aqua inputs, fish and prawn diseases, health management costs, and physical and financial losses in carp and prawn production systems in Andhra Pradesh. The study has revealed that health management costs are higher in prawn than those in carps production systems. The physical and financial losses were higher in prawn than carps culture systems. The study has made suggestions to minimize health management costs and losses in aquaculture in Andhra Pradesh.

Indian fisheries sector has witnessed phenomenal growth in marine fish production over the decades, with the modernization of fishing crafts and technology, thereby resulting in fluctuation of the same, thus rendering intense debate on growth and instability. To ease the production trend in a sustainable way and to conserve the dwindling marine resources, the monsoon trawl ban was introduced in 2001 in Tamil Nadu. The seasonal fishing ban has been one of the very few significant management measures for the sustenance of the marine resources since its preamble. Though remarkable upsurge in marine fish production was achieved post implementation of ban, yet, it had generated issues in employment, poverty and income generation of fishermen during the ban period and was always a matter of turbulence among mechanized and traditional sector of fishing. It is also alleged that the enhanced marine fish landings could also be a case of fishing in and out of the waters off Tamil Nadu coasts. We made an attempt to understand the social and economic impact of fishing ban on the livelihood of marine fisherfolk and to study the viability of different marine fishing units (Motorized and Mechanized) in Tamil Nadu. The overall employment loss and loss in labour income during the ban period was also assessed. The fishermen’s constraints during the ban has also been ranked and suggestions given to improve the livelihood security of the marine fishers’ in the Palk bay area.

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