Information Seeking Behaviour of Extension Personnel in Aquaculture Sector

Abstract

Fishery extension personnel ought to be effective information seekers to perform their role as ‘facilitators’ for accessing farm inputs, advisory services and markets to the farming community. Study conducted among the fishery extension personnel of Department of Fisheries in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh has indicated that hardly 50% of them were information seekers and their information seeking frequency was totally insufficient (<50%). Printed publications, research wings of the Departments of Fisheries (DoF), fisheries colleges of State Agricultural Universities and Marine Products Export Development Authority were the information sources respectively for 46, 40, 36 and 30 percent of the extension personnel. Their low information seeking behaviour was manifested in their low awareness level (<50%) on the Better Management Practices advocated. It is suggested to evolve a National Fisheries Extension Mission to restructure the DoFs and to integrate fisheries research with extension functions. Alternative, cost effective and rapid communication channels also need to be explored for the mutual exchange of information among the fishery researchers, extension personnel and farming community.