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Participation of Coastal Fishermen in Alternative Livelihood Activities Under a Development Intervention in Teknaf Peninsula

M.M.K. Haque
Ex-MS student, Dept. of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh.

M.H. Rahman
Professors, Dept. of Agricultural Extension Education, BAU, Mymensingh.

M.Z. Rahman
Professors, Dept. of Agricultural Extension Education, BAU, Mymensingh.

A.B.M.A. Haq
Horticulture Extension Officer, CWBMP, Cox’s Bazar

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The paper attempts to make a preliminary evaluation of the Coastal and Wetland Biodiversity Management Project (CWBMP) in terms of coastal fishermen’s participation in alternative livelihood activities towards biodiversity conservation. The study was conducted in Teknaf Peninsula under Cox’s Bazar district while 112 randomly selected coastal fishermen from a population of 455 were interviewed by using a structured interview schedule in April 2008. A 4-point rated scale was used to measure the extent of participation of the respondents in eight alternative livelihoods activities which included cultivation of field crops, cultivation of vegetables in homestead, cultivation of vegetables in field, cultivation of fruits in homestead, cultivation of fruits in fields, plantation of timber plants in hilly areas, plantation of other plants in hills and homestead, and other alternative livelihood activities. The result showed that the coastal fishermen had highest participation in cultivation of vegetables in fields followed by fruits in homestead, cultivation of field crops and other livelihoods activities. The remaining alternative livelihood activities were not significantly practiced by the respondent fishermen. Majority (56.3%) of the fishermen had moderate level participation while 33.9% had low level participation in different livelihoods activities. Among the ten selected characteristics of the respondents, education, farm size, family size, annual income, extension media exposure, and social participation were positively and significantly related to their level of participation in alternative livelihood activities. On the other hand, age, cosmopolite ness, organizational participation, and training exposure did not show any significant relationship with the respondents’ participation in alternative livelihood activities.

Keywords: Coastal fishermen, Biodiversity, Alternative livelihood, CWBMP

Location: Teknaf upazila under Cox’s Bazar district

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Resource Development and Management

Commodity: Carp fish

Objectives:

1.To determine and describe the nature and extent of participation of coastal fishermen in alternative livelihood activities

2.To explore the relationship between their selected characteristics and extent of participation.

Methodology:

Study locale, population and sample: The study was conducted in Teknaf upazila under Cox’s Bazar district where NACOM (Nature Conservation and Management), a partner NGO of CWBMP, had been involved alternative livelihood activities for the local fishermen since 2006. The NGO organizes local fishermen under a community based organization named Village Conservation Group (VCG). Among the 455 members in Teknaf upazila, 112 (i.e., approximately 25%) were randomly selected as the sample of the study. Instrument for data collection: An interview schedule was prepared, where the items were arranged in order to objectives of the research and following the procedures of measurement of different variables. Data were collected from the selected fishermen by face to face interview during March-April, 2008. The variables and their measurement: Eleven selected characteristics of the fishermen were selected as the independent variables of the study. These characteristics were: age, education, family size, farm size, annual family income, cosmopolite ness, extension media exposure, experience in alternative livelihood activities, organizational participation, social participation and training exposure. The variables were measured by following standard procedures. Participation of fishermen in alternative livelihood activities was the dependent variable of the study. This was measured on the basis of coastal fishermen’s participation in eight selected alternative livelihood activities. A 4-point rated scale was used for the measurement, where a respondent was asked to indicate her/his level of participation in eight livelihood activities by choosing one of four possible responses. The possible responses in the scale representing levels of participation were “never”, “rare”, “occasional”, and “regular” while the assigned scores for the responses were 0, 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Thus, the overall participation scores, obtained by summarizing the scores of all eight alternative livelihood activities, could be ranged from 0 to 24, 0 indicating no participation and 24 indicating highest level of participation.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Journal of Extension Education ISSN 1011-3916 Volume 20, No. 1&2, 2008:35-40

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The result showed that the coastal fishermen had highest participation in cultivation of vegetables in fields followed by fruits in homestead, cultivation of field crops and other livelihoods activities. The remaining alternative livelihood activities were not significantly practiced by the respondent fishermen. Majority (56.3%) of the fishermen had moderate level participation while 33.9% had low level participation in different livelihoods activities. Among the ten selected characteristics of the respondents, education, farm size, family size, annual income, extension media exposure, and social participation were positively and significantly related to their level of participation in alternative livelihood activities. On the other hand, age, cosmopolite ness, organizational participation, and training exposure did not show any significant relationship with the respondents’ participation in alternative livelihood activities.

Knowledge Management: Journal