SOME SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE FISHERMEN OF TWIN PRONGED FLOODPLAIN WETLANDS IN WEST BENGAL
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Authors
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I. C. Mittal
Department of Zoology, University of Kurukshetra, Kurukshetra, Haryana
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Utpal Bhaumik
Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata-700120
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P. Das
Indralok Estate, Kolkata
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T. Paria
Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata-700120
Abstract
A socio-economic investigation was carried out in two Fishermen Cooperative
Societies namely Purba Helatala Fishermen Co-operative Society
(E-1), Barhal Fishermen Co-operative Society (E-2), under Ma'u'i district,
West Bengal to which the heels (flood plains)under study belong. A total of
132 member fishermen, which constituted the sample, were personally
interviewed. The age group of the fishermen of the sample in E-1 varied
between 20 and 66 years whereas in E-2 it was 22 and 61 years. All the n- Tubers
of the sample belonged to Scheduled Caste (SC) community. The primary
occupation of all the respondents of both the heels was observed to be fishing
%). Maximum number of illiterate respondents were observed to be 56%
in E-2 and 35% in E-1. It has been observed that as many as 38.3% of fishermen
were having fishing experience which ranging from 16 to 20 years in E-1
whereas it was 6 - 10 years (36.1%) in E-2. Maximum r=mber c.7 fishermen
lived in thatched "—oases (41.66%) in E-1 whereas in E-2 most of them lived in
houses made of corrugated tiritile shed (41.66%). As many as 41.55% of E-1
and 30.55% of E-2 used dug-out canoes for their fishing. Max' urn number
of fishermen used cast net with individualistic approacTi (100%) followed by
Gill net (E-1 : 41.56% and E-2:55.55%). Most of the fishermen of the sample
participated in fishing activities for 241 to 270 'ays (41.66%) in E-2 whereas
it was 211 to 240 days (33.33 %) in E-1 in a year. During fishing season as
many as 40.0% of the respondents of E-1 earned on an average Rs. 801.G0 to
Rs. 900.00 per month whereas it was Rs.901.00 to Rs.1,000.00 (43.05%) in
case of E-2. A section of fishermen of the sa::-.ple borrowed money often (51.6%)
E-1 whereas it was most often (27.27%) of E-2. The respondents of E-2 made
regular repayment of the loan to the maximum extent (79.48%) whereas f
was 57.44% in E-1. Higher fish production vis-a-vis higher income for the
fishermen was observed in the heel (E2) having dose characteristic
Keywords: Socio-economic, Illiteracy, ExplcLation, Common property
resource
