Paadu System
The southern part of the lagoon in Tamil Nadu in which fishing is highly productive, closer to Ennore and 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the estuary and bar (where the sea water and lagoon water coalesce) is controlled by fishermen of three main Pulicat Lagoon villages namely, Kottai Kuppam, Naduvur Madha Kuppam and Andi Kuppam. The system under which fishing is controlled by these three villages is called Paadu system. It is an ancient system practiced in the Pulicat Lagoon and is also practiced in coastal regions of Sri Lanka and other coasts of Tamil Nadu. Paadu is a:
traditional system of getting entitlements to eligible members of a particular community for undertaking specified fishing activity in certain designated areas. The fishing grounds fall within a radius of5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the mouth of the lake with a salinity well maintained without much drying even during low tides.
However, this traditional practice is based on caste control of the access rights to the high productive areas but is not respected by most of the eastern fishermen. Ocean-side villages also challenge this system. As a result, conflicts leading to violence have been reported
Read more about this topic: Pulicat Lake
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