It has been three years since the Asean-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) came into existence. The initial framework agreement was signed on October 8, 2003, in Bali, Indonesia, and the final agreement was inked on August 13, 2009.
The free trade area came into effect on January 1, 2010. Though with the signing of the agreement, fish trade in the region has increased manifold, the fishermen community in the state has not benefited much from it. During the initial days of discussion of the AIFTA, it was feared that the fish market here will collapse because of the agreement.
But the outcome was unexpected as many fish varieties, which hitherto were not in the export list, found new markets. But fishermen say that they benefited less from the new scenario, as traders and middlemen are reaping the fruits. An estimated 100 tonnes of fish was caught from the Asean-India region on an annual basis.
The fear was that when the agreement comes into force, fish would be dumped in the Kerala market. But due to dearth of supply, which has shrunk by 60 tonnes annually, fishes like sardine and mackeral are exported to Indonesia and the Philippines. This has led to the increase in prices of these varieties in the domestic market as well.
The price of sardine has crossed Rs 100 and mackerel even touched `200 per kg. But fishermen are not getting even one-tenth the price, as traders and middlemen are actively exploiting them, said Swathanthra Malsya Tozhilali Centre president Lal Koyilparambil. According to the estimates, exports have more than doubled after signing of the Asean agreement in 2009.
Asean-India trade grew over 22 per cent annually during the 2005-11 period. Trade between India and Asean in 2011-12 increased by more than 37 per cent to $79 billion. The two sides expect bilateral trade to increase to $100 billion by 2015, and $200 billion within a decade.
As a result of drastic drop in fish catch and increased exports, the prices have gone up by at least 50 per cent compared to an year ago. If the landing remains at these levels, the price will remain in the high trajectory, said P H Abdul Kalam, an official with Matsyafed.
2012 The New Indian Express