Socio-economic conditions of the pond owners of Demra, Dhaka

On the basis of fish culture status 96 ponds of the study area were classified into 4 categories like wild stock (27%), extensive culture (24%), improved extensive culture (33%) and semi-intensive culture (16%). Percentage of small, medium and large ponds were 38, 44, and 18 respectively whereas education levels below SSC, below Bachelor and above were 43, 38 and 19 respectively and single owners belonged to 54% of the ponds. Per hectare yields of extensive, improved extensive and semi-intensive categories of culture were 1.3, 2.12 and 4.0 metric tons respectively and their net return were 46, 63 and 92 thousand taka respectively. Considering the problems of fish culture, multiple ownership was found to be the most important one.

Socio-economic conditions and challenges of Kyoga lakes fisheries

Over the period 2008 to 2010, NaFIRRI carried out a number of socio-economic studies on the Kyoga lakes to provide an update of the socio-economic conditions of the fisheries and also to address specific areas of fisheries socio-economic issues and development concerns. The data collection was conducted using Key informant interviews, questionnaire sample surveys, Focus Group Discussions, secondary data searches and field observations. The objective of this fact sheet is, therefore, to provide key information from these studies for use at national, district, community levels as well as by other interested stakeholders.

Food security and poverty alleviation under the National Special Programme for Food Security: a preliminary socio-economic assessment of Yamama Lake, Kebbi state, Nigeria

The World Food Summit in its meeting in Rome in 1999 estimated that 790 million people in the developing world do not have enough food to eat. This is more than the total populations of North America and Europe combined. Nigeria is one of the developing countries affected by hunger, deprivation and abject poverty by its citizenry inspite of its enormous natural and human resources. To reduce poverty and increase food supplies to the masses the Federal Government of Nigeria embarked on a programmed-tagged National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) in the year 2002. The programme's broad objectives are to attain food security in the broadest sense and alleviate rural poverty in Nigeria. One of the areas of the programme's intervention is in the aquaculture and inland fisheries development because Nigeria imported 681mt of fish in 2003 with a total cost of about N50 million. The paper assesses the socio-economic conditions of one of the selected water bodies (Yamama Lake) with a view to introducing community-based fisheries management plan for the rational exploitation and management of the fishery and other aquatic resources of the water body thereby increasing fish supply and improving the living standard of the fisherfolk in the area. Data were collected using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools and questionnaire administration

Aquaculture Asia, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp.1-42, October-December 2005

*Table of Contents* Sustainable aquaculture Peter Edwards writes on rural aquaculture: Small-scale pond culture in Bangladesh. People in aquaculture Community based aquaculture - issues and challenges H.K. De and G.S. Saha. Aquaculture as an action programme: An exercise in building confidence and self worth. B. Shanthi, V.S. Chandrasekaran, M. Kailasam, M. Muralidar, T. Ravisankar,.C. Saradad and M. Krishnan The STREAM Column: Transforming policy recommendations into pro-poor service provision Graham Haylor. Research & farming techniques. Grow out of juvenile spotted Babylon to marketable size in earthen ponds II: Polyculture with seabass. S. Kritsanapuntu, N. Chaitanawisuti, W. Santhaweesuk and Y. Natsukari Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network. Influence of economic conditions of importing nations and unforeseen global events on grouper markets. Sih Yang Sim. Present status of hatchery technology for cobia in Vietnam. Nhu Van Can. Report on grouper hatchery training course in Indonesia. Nguyen Quoc Thai. Aquatic animal health. Biosecured and improved penaeid shrimp production through organic nursery raceway system in India. Felix. S. and M. Samaya Kannan. Management of monogenean parasites in brackishwater finfish. K.P. Jithendran, M. Natarajan and I.S. Azad. Vembanad Lake: A potential spawner bank of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii on the southwest coast of India. Paramaraj Balamurugan, Pitchaimuthu Mariappan & Chellam Balasundaram.

Socio-economic survey of fisher families, 1958-59

Fisher families had been investigated by the Department of Commerce and Industries in earlier economic surveys conducted in 1935, 1938 and 1939 (Das Gupta, 1937 a & b; 1944 a & b). These surveys were directed at the general economic conditions of the urban and rural sectors of the population and therefore did not provide much information in particular on the life of the fisherman or his environment. The Department of Fisheries in 1954 conducted a rapid enquiry into the living conditions of fishermen to obtain some data on their income, indebtedness and general social conditions, at the request of the Canadian Co-operative Consultant for incorporation in his report on the "Status and Possibilities of Co-operative Development of the Fisheries of Ceylon” (MacDonald, 1954). The present survey was undertaken to provide more definite socio-economic information on the fishermen of Ceylon, covering such aspects as income, expenditure, indebtedness and living conditions. The survey was started in June, 1958, but was interrupted by the unsettled conditions of the Island at the time, taking therefore a little over a year for completion. Some of the data collected was used as a basis for a report on the living conditions of fishermen, incorporated in the “Guide to the Fisheries of Ceylon", a hand book published by the Department of Fisheries (Anon. 1958).

The Sundarbans fishers coping in an overly stressed mangrove estuary

The fishing community of the Sundarbans are the human group most at home in the mud-slush-water-forest environment of this famous mangrove estuary. Their skills, knowledge, and technique have developed in response to a challenging environment. Yet, of the countless studies on the various aspects of this eco-region, there are exceedingly few that have studied the Sundarbans fisher in his/her ecological, historical and demographic context—as a key stakeholder in an environment under considerable stress. The present study seeks to reduce this lacuna a little. Its object is not merely to examine and analyse, but also to identify means, both tradition-based and innovative, which might contribute to protect the environment, improve economic conditions, and usher in people-based governance of resources.

Poverty in the fisheries, inductors, causes and intervention

The study is prompted by the poverty that persisted among the fishing communities of lake victoria at time of considerable cash inflow into the fisheries development of fish processing industry. There has been need for understanding of the poverty and what strategies would be most appreciate for it's reduction.This study has attempted to respond to the needby identifying the nature and distribution of the poverty within the fisheries lake victoria,Uganda, the factor responsible for itand the options for poverty reduction intervention. The study examined the global and regional perspectives of poverty and wealth distribution, noting that wide disparities existed between the developed and the developing world and also between the developing countries themselves. A historical review of development policies and strategies revealed that while successive strategies were able to contribute to growth, their achievement towards poverty alleviation were less than satisfactory, hence the need for continually developing new strategies. A background to Uganda’s society and economy is provided, examining the demographic, political, environmental and economic conditions of the country. Uganda’s development strategies are reviewed, highlighting the role of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan, Uganda’s main strategy for implementing the policy of poverty reduction and wealth distribution. At the agricultural sector level, the Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture has been formulated, followed by the National Fisheries Policy, aimed at providing a policy framework for the management and development of the fisheries. An appropriate definition of poverty was formulated, considered relevant to the situation of Lake Victoria. The dimensions of poverty included inadequate basic necessities, low education and health achievements, a sense of insecurity and exposure to risk. The research methodology was enhanced by the examination of the Lélé Model of the Poverty–Environmental Degradation problem, the World Bank Model of Poverty Causation and the subsequent Lake Victoria Model developed in this study. It has provided a plan for the research, the consideration of criteria and a data collection plan. The data collection instruments included secondary data search, key informant interviews and a sample survey based on a structured questionnaire. The study identified all the four dimensions of poverty in the fisheries, provided poverty profiles with respect to the different activities, groups of people and regions in the fisheries, based on consumption poverty. Among the people identified to be in poverty were the fishing labourers, fishers of Oreochromis niloticus and those operating with non-powered boats. In the post-harvest fisheries, large proportions of processors involved in salting and sun-drying, market stall and bicycle traders were in the poverty category. The ethnic groups most affected included the Samia, Basoga and Bakenye while the Districts of Jinja, Bugiri and Busia had the highest proportions of fishers in the poverty category. With respect to the other dimensions of poverty, the study showed that educational achievement was low within the fishing communities. The health status was poor, due mainly to the prevalence of malaria, diarrhoea, bilharzia and HIV/AIDS. There was a sense of insecurity within certain sections of the fishing community, due to leadership weaknesses within the local as well as the Government institutions. Some community members operated in a state of risk because they were vulnerable to episodes of income, health and education. The causes of poverty in fisheries included weaknesses within the institutional and social environment, limitations in the technology available to the poor, resource degradation and unfavourable economic factors. The recommendations of the study for poverty reduction included strengthening of policies, developing links, improving capacities and increasing resources, to be applied at the levels of Central Government, Local Government and of the community. In view of the achievements of the methodology used on this study, involving reference to the models, it is recommended that future research should build upon this model approach, as it will continue to produce results, especially when attempting to forecast changes relating to interventions.

Sustainable livelihood approach of prawn production and marketing systems in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

An investigation was carried out in Phulpur upazila, Mymensingh to examine the current production practices of freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii and its marketing systems with sustainable livelihood approach. The livelihoods of a considerable number of rural poor are associated with prawn production in Phulpur upazila. Based on a sample of 50 farmers, about 94% farmers were found to culture prawn with fish in their ponds. Only 4% and 2% farmers were found to culture prawn-fish-dike crops and only prawn respectively. Prawn marketing is almost exclusively a preserve of the private sector where the livelihoods of a large number of people are associated with its distribution and marketing systems. The market chain from producers to consumers passes through a number of intermediaries. About 40% of the produced prawns are exported and the rest 60% are sold to local markets. The price of prawn depends on quality, size and weight. The average farm-gate price of prawn varied from Tk. 110 to 160/kg, whereas it's [sic] market price varied from Tk. 150 to 350/kg. Most of the farmers and traders have improved their socio-economic conditions through prawn farming and marketing activities. However, concerns arise about the long-term sustainability of prawn farming and marketing systems due to lack of technical knowledge of prawn farming, poor road and transport facilities, higher transport cost, poor supply of ice, lack of cash and credit facilities. It is therefore essential to provide institutional and organizational support and credit facilities for sustainable prawn production and marketing systems.