Shrimp Fry (meen) Farmers of Sundarban Mangrove Forest (India): A Tale of Ecological Damage and Economic Hardship

Abstract

The Sundarban is a stretch of largely impenetrable mangrove forests lying at the southern tip of the Indian state of West Bengal, and stretching into Bangladesh. Nearly 4.5 million people live in Indian Sundarban. In absence of any industry, people entirely live by exploiting the natural resources. Due to the salinity of soil, regular storm, flood agriculture is very difficult. Collection and cultivation of prawn is an alternative means for subsistence in the area. Prawn cultivation not only provided them with ready cash but it appeared to be more paying than agriculture. Instead of high earning from huge collection of tiger shrimps, base level workers collecting the shrimps are facing toughest economic situation. Their socioeconomic condition is very poor. The provision of basic ser¬vices and infrastructure to the people of the Sundarban is far from satisfactory. Women and children are becoming increasingly vulnerable in the Sundarban. Women are underpaid for jobs that they are employed for. They wish to work to supplement their family in-come but are unable to find employment outside the traditional work. Children are engaged in meendhora (meaning collection of prawn fry), fish drying and domestic work from a young age. But huge ecological damage is being caused over decades by this shrimp collection method. Shrimp fishing produces large amounts of bycatch, which may be as high as more than 65 percent of the total fry caught. These bycatch is completely discarded by the collectors causing huge loss to other aquatic species. Also, due to direct and prolonged contact with the seawater, the collectors develop occupational hazards like waterborne diseases, skin infections, some contiguous diseases. In this work, we present details of this damage- both to ecology and to livelihood of people involved in this occupation. We report national and international studies expressing concern on these issues. Also, we report with examples what safe strategy can be adopted to reduce ecological damage, as well as protect physical damage to shrimp collectors.