WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2025 73 still assume that “real” aquaculture work — like pond management or harvesting — is best left to men. There are success stories. In Indian states like Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu where small-scale aquaculture plays a vital role in rural livelihoods, women’s self-help groups (SHGs) are successfully managing backyard tanks and community farms with support from institutions like CIFT (Central Institute of Fisheries Technology) and local agencies. These efforts show what’s possible when women are given space to lead. Cultural Barriers Cultural norms don’t always say “no” to women, they simply never imagine them at the center of the farm. But here’s something we don’t talk about enough: Inclusion isn’t just fair — it improves outcomes. When women are actively integrated into the aquaculture workforce, especially at the production level, it often necessitates the development of better systems: safe transport, secure accommodation, structured routines, and formalized record-keeping. These improvements, while designed to support inclusion, have the added benefit of enhancing farm discipline and operational biosecurity. Well-planned training access, gender-inclusive infrastructure, and clear protocols can lead to greater consistency in hygiene practices, monitoring routines, and contingency preparedness — key pillars of any disease prevention strategy. What needs to change. As someone just beginning her journey in aquaculture, I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I do know this: we can’t build a resilient Blue Economy by leaving half the population behind. I’m not asking for special treatment — just a fair starting line. To make that possible, a few key changes are essential. First, visibility. When women see other women in gumboots by a pond, managing tanks, or signing loan papers at a cooperative office, everything shifts. It stops being “unusual” and starts feeling normal. We need to amplify stories of women aquaculturists as examples. Second, policy reform. Gender-responsive budgeting, pond leasing priorities for women, and targeted credit models may be smart strategies. If we want inclusive growth, we need inclusive design. Government schemes should clearly outline how women can apply, participate, and benefit. Third, cultural shift. This one is hard, but necessary. In many families and villages, it’s still seen as strange or unsafe for a girl to manage a fish farm. Those ideas won’t change overnight, but they can change through community dialogues, school-level sensitization, and supportive leadership at the panchayat and district levels. Fourth, infrastructure. Often, the most significant barriers are also the most basic — such as limited access to sanitation facilities, transport, or adequate lighting at farm sites. These may appear minor, but they play a crucial role in determining whether women can safely and confidently participate in field operation. She Can and She Must In India alone, fisheries and aquaculture contribute over ₹1.5 lakh crore (USD $7.7 billion) annually to exports. From genetics labs to blockchain traceability, from hatchery operations to global seafood markets — aquaculture is the future. But if women are missing from this future, we risk building an industry that is efficient but not equitable. Productive, but not just. Ambitious, but incomplete. To avoid that outcome, something must shift — not just in policy or infrastructure, but in mindsets. Yes, governments need to act. Institutions must open doors. Families must support. But we, as women, must also start seeing ourselves differently. We need more women who don’t just wait for space, but create it. This is how transformation happens. Not overnight, but over and over, every time a girl chooses to stay in the race instead of stepping aside. So, let’s not just change the system. Let’s change our own minds. Because the future of aquaculture isn’t male or female. It’s inclusive. It’s innovative. And it’s already on its way. Notes Priya Babu, Naveen Nivas S, Dinesh Kaippilly and Geeji MT, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Panangad, Kochi, Kerala, India – 682506. * Corresponding author: naveennivas599@gmail.com References Dharamshi, K., Moskovitz, L., & Munshi, S. (2023). Securing a sustainable future: a path towards gender equality in the Indian agricultural sector. Sustainability, 15(16), 12447. FAO. (2024). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 – Blue Transformation in action. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/ cd0683en Government of India. (2020). Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana – Operational Guidelines. Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Available at: https://pmmsy.dof.gov.in CALLING ALL READERS DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO WORLD AQUACULTURE? We’d love to see it! We welcome general features, articles and news covering a variety of aquaculture-related topics, preferably well-illustrated with photographs and line art. Published quarterly, the magazine keeps WAS members up to date with research results and reviews of aquaculture trends and topics. You do not need to be a member of the Society and there are no page charges. Guidelines for authors are available here. Submit manuscripts to C. Greg Lutz, Editor in Chief, at glutz@agcenter.lsu.edu or Cecilia Castellanos Nichols, ed.assistant@was.org when emailing your submission.
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