Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Socioeconomic Assessment of Shrimp Farming in Relation to Local Livelihoods in the South-west Coastal Bangladesh

M. Mizanur Rahman
Planning Cell, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock, Govt. of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

M. Flitner
Faculty for Biology & Chemistry, University of Bremen, Germany

G. Krause
Faculty for Biology & Chemistry, University of Bremen, Germany

M. Maniruzzaman
Faculty of Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Nine different categories of stakeholders in shrimp farming industry ·were assessed to show the socioeconomic impact of shrimp farming in south-west Bangladesh. Among all the stakeholders the shrimp farmer's average own land was 4 ha whereas the seed collectors and faria's had lowest amount of average land, 0.1 and 0.5 ha respectively. The shrimp farming positively impacted to the livelihood of stakeholders. Income of the coastal people, sanitation, working facilities of women, employment, health condition and the literacy rate increased due to shrimp farming. On the other hand shrimp farming had negative impact on the rice production, livestock, drinking water supply, and social conflict and violence had increased due to shrimp farming. There were internal conflicts between different stakeholders; the faria's conflict with the depot owners and shrimp farmers, marginal farmers' conflict with the rich shrimp farmers about leasing lands and saline water control, the rice farmers conflicts with the shrimp farmers about agricultural crop production.

Keywords: Shrimp farming, Socioeconomic, Livelihood

Location: Satkhira and Khulna districts.

Start Date: 00-09-2007

End Date: 00-02-2008

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Income generation

Objectives:

To assess the socioeconomic impact of shrimp farming and its implications for local livelihoods in south-west coastal Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Study area and selection of the shrimp farming stakeholders: The study areas were selected from the south-west part of Bangladesh, mainly in Satkhira and Khulna districts where the majority shrimp farming activities are concentrated. According to their involvement in different activities of the shrimp industry, nine categories of stakeholders were selected for data collections. Simple random sampling techniques were applied for selecting the respondents of rice farmers, shrimp farmers, and alternate rice and shrimp-prawn farmers. For applying the technique, at first the list of rice farmers, shrimp farmers and also the alternate rice and shrimp-prawn farmers were collected from the Upazila Agricultural office and Upazila Fishery Office of the selected Upazila and then random number table was used for selecting the sample units. The sample of shrimp farm laborers, depot owners, depot workers, shrimp seed collectors and land lessors were selected by purposive method. Questionnaire design and survey of the study area: One draft questionnaire was designed to survey the socioeconomic issues due to shrimp farming and implications on local livelihood. The preliminary survey focused on the shrimp farmers', rice farmers' and other shrimp farming stakeholders' recent socioeconomic conditions. During August 2007 the data were collected by the pre-tested draft questionnaire from the two respondents of each category. Then the questionnaire has been finalized for collecting the necessary data through interview method. The data collection period was from Sept 2007 to February 2008. The survey method was followed through direct interview from the different stakeholders. For determining the socioeconomic impact of shrimp farming "before and after" and also "with and without" methods were applied. The respondents were asked about what were the socioeconomic situations were before and after the shrimp farming practice at the study areas. The information were also collected about the earlier traditional social structure and livelihoods of shrimp farming stakeholders were changed or not due to shrimp farming. Intra-generational changes in the case of sustainability of livelihood framework such as human, social, physical, natural and financial capital assets were also analyze for determining the impacts of shrimp farming development at the coastal area of Bangladesh. Data was collected through direct observation and transect walk (informal surveys and this participatory studies known as a walk over the transect of an area for the observation and documentation of the similarities and differences of socio-economic and bio-physical features. Data were collected through interviews (questionnaire) by grouping of all stakeholders in to following groups. Group 1 was for three categories such as rice farmers, shrimp farmers and alternate rice and shrimp-prawn farmers and Group 2 was for six categories such as depot owners, depot workers, shrimp farm laborers, faria, land lessors and for shrimp seed collectors. The data were also collected by oral history method. Oral history is an interview method by which the researcher collects about the past events and ways of life. The beginning history of the shrimp farming, the mangroves were present at the shrimp farming area or not and also the agro-ecosystem gradually destroying or not were obtained from the very old aged people at the coastal areas by this oral history method. In this case the respondents were more than sixty years old. The selected respondents were different categories like shrimp farmers, shrimp seed collectors and shrimp farm laborers and land lessors of very near the mangroves region of the coastal area. Data analysis: The data from the questionnaire were grouped and categorized according to the different stakeholders of the shrimp farming. The whole data were entered into the MS Excel program and in the tabular form in the computer. Mainly the tabular and graphical methods were used for analyzing the data. Independent sample T-test was applied for assessing whether the differences of income from different types of farming activities are significant or not .. Most of the data were formed in the histograms, percentage, pie chart and mean value.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Fish. Res., 12(1), 2008: 109-120

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The shrimp farming positively impacted to the livelihood of stakeholders. Income of the coastal people, sanitation, working facilities of women, employment, health condition and the literacy rate increased due to shrimp farming. On the other hand shrimp farming had negative impact on the rice production, livestock, drinking water supply, and social conflict and violence had increased due to shrimp farming.

Knowledge Management: Journal