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Using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to Identifyconstraints and Opportunities to the Development of Freshwater Prawn Farming in Southwest Bangladesh

NESAR AHMED
Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202 Bangladesh

EDWARDH. ALLISON
WorldFish Center, Jalan Batu Maung, Batu Maung, Bayan Lepas, Penang 11960 Malaysia,and School of Development Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ UK

JAMESF. MUIR
Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA Scotland, UK

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A conceptual framework, drawn from an approach to poverty reduction known as the sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA), is applied to understanding the role of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachiumrosenbergii, farming in gher (modified rice fields with high, broad peripheral dikes) systems in southwest Bangladesh. Gher farming potentially allows the incorporation of a wide variety of crops together with prawn, fish, dike crops, and rice culture. The analysis shows how, in a gher farming context, sustainable livelihoods are achieved through access to a range of livelihood assets, which are combined in the pursuit of prawn farming strategies. The study used the SLA framework as a diagnostic tool to identify ways of strengthening the livelihoods of the prawn farmers.

Keywords: Livelihoods, Constraints, Freshwater Prawn Farming, Southwest Bangladesh

Location: Bagerhat district, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Animal Health and Management

Commodity: Prawn

Objectives:

This paper proceeds, first, by setting out in more detail the livelihoods approach as a guide to poverty reduction policies in low-income developing countries. Second, it describes prawn production technology in the study area. Third, it considers the utility of the livelihoods approach as a guide to poverty reduction policies and links this to the prawn farming system. Finally, the paper sets out some preliminary conclusions about sustainable prawn production in a poverty reduction context, from an examination of primary data collected in studies informed by a livelihoods perspective.

Methodology:

Study Area The study was conducted in the Bagerhat district, a coastal area of the Bay of Bengal, situated in the southwest part of Bangladesh. Geographically, Bagerhat has been identified as the most important and promising area for freshwater prawn culture because of the availability of wild postlarvae, favorable re-sources and climatic conditions, such as the availability of low-lying agricultural land, warm climate, fertile soil, and cheap and abundant labor (Ahmed 2001). This district is divided into 9 Upazilas (subdistricts). Among them, Bagerhat Sadar, Fakirhat, Mollahat, and Chitalmari are the four most important for freshwater prawn farming, the remaining Upazilas being important for tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, farming as a result of saltwater intrusion. These four Upazilas were therefore selected for the study. Data Collection Methods Field research was conducted over a 9-month period, from May 2003 to January 2004. A combination of the following participatory, qualitative, and quantitative methods was used for data collection: Rapid Rural Appraisal. Rapid rural appraisal (RRA) comprises a group of methods to collect information, if possible, with the participation (and not just the passive response) of those with whom the researcher is interacting (Chambers1992). The advantage of RRA over other more formal methods such as questionnaires is that it allows wider participation of and dialogue with the community about the study objectives and evolving findings; therefore, the information collected is likely to be more accurate(Chambers 1994; Nabasa et al. 1995; Conroy 2002). For this study, the RRA tool – transect walk – was conducted with prawn farmers and associated groups such as prawn traders, fry traders, day laborers, women, and children. Data analysis data from questionnaire interviews were coded and entered into a database system using Microsoft Excel software to produce descriptive statistics. The Department for international development (DFID) sustainable livelihoods framework (DFID 1999) was applied to structure the analysis of the qualitative and quantitative data. This framework helps to place observed prawn farming practices in the context of farmer’s access to household capital assets, their vulnerability to shocks and trends external to the household, and the influence of policies and processes. This analytical framework allows an assessment of the importance of these capital assets and mediating processes to determining livelihood outcomes in terms of incomes, employment, food security, and basic needs.

Source of Information: JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY Vol. 39, No. 5October, 2008

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Prawn farming in gher systems plays an important role in the economy of southwestBangladesh, earning valuable foreign exchange and contributing to increased food production, diversifying the economy, and increasing employment opportunities. While the potential benefits are great, increasing production costs, high levels of debt, poor technical assistance, and inadequate supply of wild fry and snail meat are recognized as constraints to sustainability. Moreover, poor resources, weak transforming structures and processes, vulnerability context, poor institutional support, and lack of extension services have all been identified as constraints to long-term sustainability. It is, therefore, necessary to find means of providing institutional and organizational support, training facilities, and extension services for sustainable prawn farming. Training and technical support would help to improve profitability and reduce risks. Farmers need to extend their basic knowledge and develop better skills in integrated prawn cultivation with monsoon season rice crops and intensive dike crops. If farmers are persuaded to cultivate these, their income and local food supply will increase and the overall risks will decline. At present, poorer farmers are not taking risks by investing in prawn farming – they are ‘‘staying poor to stay secure’’ (Wood 2003). The provision of low-interest credit would also help to reduce the risks for small and marginal farmers. Micro financial service providers have generally been wary of lending in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors (FAO 2006), but access to credit at reasonable interest rates and with appropriate repayment schedules will be essential if prawn farming is to become accessible to the poorer farmers. Input markets and services also need strengthening. The present reliance on wild-caught fry and snails harvested from the wild is a limit to further expansion of prawn farming and puts pressure on the local environment. It is, therefore, necessary to explore the possibility of developing prawn hatcheries and processed feed industries. Hatcheries may reduce the pressure of wild fry exploitation and increase wild pro-duction. The development of a feed based on low-cost locally produced ingredients would help improve farmer’s profit margins and reduce the negative environmental consequences of snail harvesting.

Knowledge Management: Journal