A livelihoods study of farmers and fishers in Dang Kom Village - Kandal Province

The main objective of this study was to build the capacity of the CFDO and provincial staff to conduct livelihoods studies using a more participatory approach. The livelihoods study team comprised one person from the CFDO, four people from the Kandal Provincial Fisheries Office and two from the Kandal Department of Women's Affairs. Before conducting the field study, the team members participated in a three-day training workshop on how to use various PRA tools and techniques. The study team then spent five days in the village finding out about people’s livelihoods and the resources available to them. [PDF contains 37 pages]

A livelihoods study of farmers and fishers in Dang Tong Village Kampong Chhnang Province

This is the report of a livelihoods study team working together with villagers from Dang Tong Village in Kampong Chhnang Province, Cambodia. The study of the livelihoods of farmers and fishers is based on information provided by the villagers of Dang Tong, who shared their knowledge and raised real problems related to their livelihoods. [PDF contains 37 pages.]

A livelihoods study of farmers and fishers in Koh Chbar Village Kratie Province

This is the report of a livelihoods study team working together with villagers from Koh Chbar Village in Kratie Province, Cambodia, to find out about the livelihoods of farmers and fishers. It is based on information provided by the villagers who shared their knowledge and raised real issues related to their livelihoods. [PDF contains 37 pages.]

A livelihoods study of farmers and fishers in Koh Reusey Village Kampong Chhnang Province

This is the report of a livelihoods study conducted in Koh Reusey Village, Prorlay Meas Commune, Kampong Leng District, Kampong Chhnang Province. The main objective of the study was to understand the villagers’ lives, their standards of living, the hardships they experience, external impacts on their lives, and current and future needs. The livelihoods team spent five days in the village from 27 June to 1 July 2002 and worked with 60 villagers. These included men, women, younger and older villagers. One hundred and thirty-five families in the village were represented. [PDF contains 21 pages]

A livelihoods study of farmers and fishers in Trorbek Pork Village Kandal Province

This is the report of a livelihoods study team working together with villagers from Trorbek Pork in Kandal Province, Cambodia. The livelihoods study is based on the current population census (1998) and key informant interviews: 10 to 70 villagers (50% women) representing the 140 families of Trorbek Pork Village, Kampong Kong Commune, Koh Thom District, Kandal Province. (PDF contains 40 pages)

A livelihoods study of farmers and fishers in Saob Leu Village Kratie Province

This is the report of a livelihoods study team working together with villagers from Saob Leu Village in Kratie Province, Cambodia. The study is based on information provided by the villagers, who shared their knowledge and spoke about the real problems they face with their livelihoods. [PDF contains 40 pages]

The Kandhkelgaon Story: a bold bid by women in Kandhkelgaon Village, Saintala Block, Bolangir District, to break out of their poverty trap

One third of the people on earth who are described as living in absolute poverty are found today in India. “These people,” says Mr B K Satpathy, “are caught in a poverty trap’.” “Poverty trap?” we ask. “These are creative weavers; their cloth has a distinctive style, but those who supply their thread also take away and sell the cloth, paying just a small labor cost for each saree. If they are skilled and work hard this amounts to only 25-30 rupees (60-70 US cents) per day.” Under this arrangement, weaving does not provide enough to live on, and people are seeking ways to escape their entrapment in poverty. (Pdf contains 6 pages).

Poverty alleviation among fishermen within the floodplains of Kaduna River: implication for introducing commercial fish farming at village level in Doko local government area of Niger State, Nigeria

A diagnostic survey was conducted among the fishermen in six selected villages in Doko Local Government Area of Niger State. One hundred and fifty fishermen were randomly selected and interviewed to find out whether or not they had interest in commercial fish farming aimed at improving their livelihood. The dwindling fish catches in the natural flood plain ponds and Ex-bow Lakes continue to have a serious negative effect on the socio-economic well being of the village communities in question. A break on natural regular annual flooding of the plains had resulted into very low natural fish recruitment. Data analysis using simple descriptive statistics revealed that land tenure system, educational status, inadequate infrastructural facilities, religious taboos, existing fish species among others were found to be favourable indices for commercial fish farming. However, serious conflicts among the fishermen concerning the ownership status of these natural fish ponds are found to be major obstacles to commercial fish farming despite that the traditional ownership of the ponds were vested in the lands of individuals and village communities. Extensive fish farming and small-scale fish farming in the ponds and Ex-bow Lake with improved management practices are considered to be profitable venture. Despite the fact that fish seeds supply and extension effort are still inadequate, the fish farmers have indicated willingness to adopt commercial fish farming in the Ex-bow Lakes and flood plains in order to restore abundant fish production thereby providing for their food security and also increasing the daily income

Fisheries potential of village dams in northern Ghana

Results of a twelve-month assessment of the fisheries and aquaculture potential of small waterbodies (SWBs) in the West Gonja District of Northern Ghana are presented. The primary objectives of the project were to established whether the fisheries within the reservoir basins in the West Gonja and Nanumba Districts (Northern Region) could be enhanced and aquaculture associated with the SWBs could be viable.

Village fisheries management and community-owned marine protected areas in Samoa

As in many tropical countries, subsistence fishers in Samoa live in discrete communities which have a high level of marine knowledge and some degree of control of adjacent waters. These factors provide an ideal basis for motivating communities to manage their marine resources. In Samoa, a community-based fisheries extension program encouraged each village community to define its key problems, discuss causes, propose solutions and take appropriate actions. Various village groups provided information which was recorded as problem/solution trees. The extension process culminated in a Village-Fisheries Management Plan which listed the resource management and conservation undertakings of the community. Undertakings range from enforcing laws banning destructive fishing methods to protecting critical marine habitats. Within the first eighteen months, the extension process commenced in 57 villages of which 40 have produced Village Fisheries Management Plans. An unexpectedly large number (32) or these villages chose to establish Marine Protected Areas, the first community-owned marin reserves in the country.

Developing aquaculture of Small Native Species (SNS) in Bangladesh: village level agroecological change and the availability of SNS

Small native species (SNS) of fish are important source of protein and income for rural people in Bangladesh. A rapid rural appraisal study was carried out to explore the recent changes in the availability of SNS in relation to agroecology and related issues. Village residents noted that the availability of SNS had declined drastically due to habitat loss related to agricultural intensification and due to the restriction of access to the remaining habitats in the course of aquaculture development. Their perception was that poor people had gained from the intensification of agriculture in terms of rice consumption but had lost in terms of reduced access to fish and other animal products.

Diversification of aquaculture for empowerment to fisheries through institution village linkage programme (IVLP) in Kerala, India

Technology Assessment and Refinement through the Institution Village Linkage Programme (IVLP) is the latest participatory extension model successfully undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in India. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has been implementing IVLP since 2001 to assess and refine the technologies of the coastal agro ecosystems at Elamkunnapuzha village (Vypeen Island) in the Ernakulam District of Kerala. A series of need based location specific technology intervention plans have been introduced to overcome the social and biological constraints on farming practices in fisheries, livestock and agriculture, and implemented with the active participation of the stakeholders. The inferences drawn from IVLP ultimately form a package suitable for enhanced production in the costal agro ecosystem for replication to other areas with similar characteristics. This paper gives a brief account of the treatment packages applied in fisheries through various technological interventions and discusses the consequent yield and benefits obtained. The ‘integrated whole village development’ through the involvement of multi institutional teams and a participatory approach was accorded prime importance in the IVLP of Elamkunnapuzha, with a greater emphasis on marginal and small farmers and specifically focusing on women for poverty alleviation and equity under the coastal agro ec

Indigenous construction of fishing boats at Versova village in Maharashtra State

Versova, one of the 23 fishing villages in the district of Greater Bombay, is a major fishing centre. During the last three decades mechanisation of fishing boats received a tremendous boost in the state specially in and around Bombay resulting in higher income and gainful employment to fishermen. Indigenous construction of fishing boats at Versova contributes to the marine fisheries development. Inspite of certain constraints in construction activities, training of artisans in boat construction would ultimately help in the economic growth of the village.

Socioeconomic conditions of traditional fishermen of Vitava village in Thane district

Maharashtra stands third in fish production in India, with an estimated annual landings of 3.32 lakhs tonnes (1986-87). About 45% of the fishermen are directly involved in fishing. Mechanisation has boosted fish production resulting in gainful employment and higher incomes to fishermen. However, traditional fishermen along Thane creek and who entirely depend on fishing for their livelihood are comparatively poor due to their dependence on subsistence fishing and reduction of fish stock due to pollution of the creek. Conservation of the resources, proper monitoring of pollution and financial assistance and guidance will help the fishermen improve their living conditions.

Economic feasibility of composite fish culture in leased-in village tanks of Kanyakumari district: an invesment analysis

Kanyakumari district belonging to the high rainfall zone has resource advantages for composite fish culture in the leased-in village tanks. There are more than 400 fish farmers operating in leased-in tanks following composite fish culture under the FFDA programme. To estimate the economic feasibility and financial viability of the enterprise, the present study was taken up. 38 fish farmers selected from the district provided the necessary information like capital investment, costs and return and constraints. The data collected were analysed and a farm nearest to the average farm situation was taken as the representative farm. Investment criteria like PayBack Period (PBP), Simple Rate of Returns (SRR), Net Present Value (NPV) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) were estimated taking into account a period of 10 years, the period for which the village tanks are leased-out to fish farmers under the FFDA programme. The analysis indicated the profitability of composite fish culture in village tanks in the district and the results are discussed with recommendations.