Wild Shrimp Larvae Harvesting in the Coastal Zone of Bangladesh: Socio-economic Perspectives

Abstract

About 0.42 million people are involved in shrimp post larvae collection along the estuaries and coastline of the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh. Shrimp fry collection from wild sources has assumed a notorious image for being ecologically destructive. In 2000, the Government of Bangladesh imposed regulation to stop shrimp seed collection to protect the fisheries resources. But thousands of people involved in post larvae collection are defying the ban. There is an apprehension that strict implementation of the banning ordinance may displace the people who depend upon the income from catching the larvae. To get the socioeconomic patterns of fry collection 72-85 collectors were interviewed weekly from three harvesting sites. This paper analyzes the larvae collection and distribution efficiency, livelihood strategy of fry collectors, user options for fisheries management and role of various stakeholders empirically. Results show that poverty, migration, credit systems and lack of coordination of service-providing agencies all have important influence on shrimp fry collection in the coastal zone. With an ever-increasing demand for sustainable use of coastal fisheries resources there is a need for consensus among the stakeholders. We propose alternative employment opportunities for fry collectors, community participation and integrated coastal zone management approach for the development of fisheries resources.