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‘every Mother Is a Mini-doctor’: Ethnomedicinal Uses of Fish, Mollusca and Some Other Aquatic Animals in Bangladesh

Apurba Krishna Deb
Natural Resources Institute, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, 319 Sinott Building, 70 Dysart Rd, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2

C. Emdad Haque
Natural Resources Institute, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba, 319 Sinott Building, 70 Dysart Rd, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Aim of the study: This research article examines the zootherapeutic uses of fish, Mollusca and some other aquatic animals in two fishing villages in Bangladesh-one floodplain and one coastal.Materials and methods: The floodplain fishing village Volarkandiis located within the Hakaluki wetland ecosystem in northern Bangladesh and is inhabited mostly by Muslim fishers, whereas the coastal fishing village Thakurtalais located on Moheskhali island and most of the inhabitants are caste-based Hindu fishers. Participatory techniques were used to collect and validate information from the key informants. Results: The research revealed that, historically, fishers have used fish and other aquatic animals not only as food items for nutrition but also to solve a host of physical problems and diseases. Fish and mollusca are widely used for their galactagogue and aphrodisiac properties, for quick recovery from long-time sickness, to enhance the ‘intelligence level’ of children, and to prevent and treat a host of diseases like night blindness, chickenpox, dysentery, piles, muscular inflammation, fistula, malaria, skin diseases and big belly’ syndrome in children. Depending on the objective of the use, different parts of the animal body, its derivatives, or the whole animal are used. The research also clarified different forms of the recipes used. The socio-cultural construction of the ethnomedicinal uses and the distinct gender roles of the fisherwomen were analyzed. Conclusion: The research revealed that the aetiologies and the preventive measures against folk illness are socio-culturally embedded and such indigenous medical systems grow and are sustained as a situated body of knowledge within the boundaries of a typical world view framed by local culture and biodiversity.

Keywords: Bangladesh, Fishers, Fish, Mollusca, Ethnomedicine, Zootherapy, Biodiversity

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Resource Development and Management

Commodity: Fish

Objectives:

Using a participatory research approach that emphasizes the emic perspective, this article examines the gendered knowledge of the zootherapeutic uses of fish, mollusca and some other aquatic animals available in the floodplain and coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Methodology:

Study area The research was carried out in two distinct agro-ecological zones of Bangladesh: (i) the south-east zone of the country, rep-resenting coastal areas, and (ii) the northern part, representing floodplains or wetlands. Fieldwork was conducted in the floodplain village of Volarkandi, located in the Borolekha upazilla of Moulavibazar district, and in the coastal village of Thakurtala, located on the island of Moheskhali in Cox’s Bazar district. Additional information was gathered from some key informants from nearby villages. The floodplain fishing village of Volarkandiis located in the Hakaluki haor, an ecologically critical area and the largest wetland of Bangladesh with an area of 45,872 acres. Geographically thehaoris located in between 24⁰35/−25⁰44/North latitude and 92⁰01/−92⁰09/East longitude. The coastal fishing village Thakurtalais situated on the Moheskhali island (located in between 21⁰20/−21⁰50/North latitude and 91⁰45/−92⁰/East longitude), which is immensely influenced by the semi-diurnal tidal pattern of the Bay of Bengal. Volarkandi (area: around 2 km²; population: 1240, with 640 males and 600 females; a number of households: 184) is inhabited mostly by Muslim fishers. The social group is locally known as Maimal. Thakurtala (area: around 0.5km²; population: 650 with 300 males and 350 females; a number of households: 78) is inhabited by caste-based Hindu ‘Jaladas’ fishers (literally ‘servant of the water’). Field research was carried out from January 2005 to September 2006, followed by further communication with five key informants of the study villages in May 2009 to clarify and elaborate on a few cases of zootherapeutic use. 2.2. Selection of informants The key informants, considered in this research as specialists in the eyes of local communities, were those persons who had a piece of profound knowledge about the different uses of aquatic animals, especially fish and mollusca, and at least 10 years of practical experience in demonstrating the acquired skills. The interviewees’ ages ranged from 35 to 67 years, with the average age being around 52 years. Initially, 57 fishers (floodplain village: 22 fishers, coastal village: 35 fishers) were selected for the study of which 33 key informants (floodplain village: 13 fishers with 10 women and 3men; coastal village: 20 fishers with 16 women and 4 men) were finally selected using the above not endemic considerations. 2.3. Tools applied participatory techniques such as focus group discussions (total11 events), key informant interviews (total 33) and participant observations (total 47 days) were applied to collect information. Five mini-workshops involving the key informants were organized to validate the information. The field research plan was approved by the Research Ethics Approval Board of the University of Manitoba, Canada. The objectives of the research were explained in the local dialect, and the consent of the respondents and community leaders were obtained. Interviews and participant observations were carried out in locations that were preferred by the participants. Venues included the kitchen and yard of the house in the case of women, and the country boats and tea stalls in the case of men. The discussions with the fishers were kept informal, friendly and mutually respectful in nature. The interviews usually covered the following issues: basic demographic information, vernacular name, and availability of the species, types of use, parts used, objectives of the uses, perceptions of the usefulness, methods of collection, condition of the species (live or dead), preparation and the associated belief system. Species identification was done using appropriate taxonomic reference materials (Day, 1981; Rahaman, 1986). There is no handwritten form of family records of the recipes in the study villages, so far. It was beyond the scope of this research to set out standard scientific experiments to determine the clinical efficiency of the materials used. Attention was given to the natural settings in which fisherwomen manage different sets of recipes for treating different symptoms of illness or diseases. Only those zootherapeutic uses considered proven and pertinent to the community are discussed in this article.

Source of Information: / Journal of Ethnopharmacology134 (2011) 259–267

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Achievement/Findings:

The findings presented in this article are not exhaustive. There are obviously many other fish, molluscs and aquatic animals that are being used in different regions and the same types of fish might have many other uses. Hence, there is a need for more exploratory studies covering different bio-geographic regions and cultures. Many fishers have a certain ethnomedicinal knowledge base, the quality and quantity of which are influenced by gender, level of personal curiosity, years of observations, attitude, and access to the fishing grounds. Certain forms of zootherapeutic knowledge are not public; its holding is limited to a few key persons in the fishing villages. Through a socio-cultural process of direct observation in and around fishing villages and learning by doing, fishers gradually sharpen their knowledge and experience. This study demonstrates that the local biodiversity and the icthyo-geography of their availability play distinct roles in determining the species of fish and other aquatic organisms for use as ethnomedicine. It is evident that the fishing communities rely on zootherapeutic practices as a form of affordable health care. Also, the locally embedded culture has a tremendous influence on the perceptions and uses of the aquatic resources that are derived from their immediate ecosystem. The local knowledge and practices associated with zootheraphy are important from the viewpoint of biodiversity conservation. The implications of the local biodiversity on the zootherapeutic practices and vice versa need to be examined. There is evidence that many age-old values and practices bear significance for biodiversity conservation. Special attention has to be given to those species which are already threatened (IUCN, 2000). In particular, the gradual loss of freshwater biodiversity is an alarming concern in the context of food security and ethnomedicine. The villagers should be sensitized about the needs of conserving threatened fish species and the sustainable use of ethnomedicinally important animals. In particular, more fish sanctuaries need to be declared and protected for natural breeding and growth of the threatened fish species. The gender construct of ethnomedicine is very important for understanding the valued roles of women, primarily as family healers in the rural villages. Hence, gendered knowledge systems of ethnomedicine need to be further evaluated for utilization in local level planning and conservation efforts.

Knowledge Management: Journal