Socio-Economic Transformation Through Fisheries: Rural Livelihoods And Development In North East India

Abstract

Fisheries and aquaculture occupy a distinctive position in the rural economy of North-East India, where wetlands, 
rivers, floodplain beels, rice fields and small ponds coexist with high dependence on agriculture and strong fish
eating cultures. This review synthesizes past empirical studies, official statistics, development reports and policy 
documents to examine how fisheries influence rural income, employment, nutrition, women’s work, institutions 
and resilience. A structured thematic meta-analysis of 30 sources was used rather than a statistical effect-size 
meta-analysis because the literature differs widely in design, indicators, geography and reporting quality. The 
evidence consistently associates small-scale aquaculture and community-managed water bodies with livelihood 
diversification, cash flow, local food availability and asset formation. Assam’s beel economy and Tripura’s pond
based aquaculture illustrate the potential for market-oriented growth, while Manipur’s Loktak experience 
demonstrates that ecological and institutional change can also displace customary livelihoods. Benefits are 
uneven: high feed costs, weak seed and cold-chain systems, restricted credit, disease, transport bottlenecks, 
insecure access rights and gendered exclusion reduce returns. The review argues that fisheries promote rural 
development when production support is combined with collective governance, value addition, social protection, 
ecological safeguards and locally appropriate technology. It concludes with a policy logic model and research 
agenda for inclusive, climate-resilient fisheries-led development.