Livelihood Status of Prawn (M. Rosenbergii) Postlarvae Collectors in The Lower Meghna River, Bangladesh

Abstract:

The present study was conducted to assess the livelihood status of prawn postlarvae collector in the lower Meghna river of Hatiya Upazila under Noakhali district and value chain analysis from nursing ground to farming sites in greater Khulna district in Bangladesh from January to July 2021. Data was collected through the use of well structured questionnaire from the selected riverside area. From the survey, it was found that about 85% of PL collectors were Muslim, and rest of 15% were Hindu. About 72% of PL collectors were male and 28% were female. 30% of them belonged to the age group of 21-30 years and the lowest 10% were above 50 years. The nuclear family was predominant in the study area, 63% of households were nuclear and 37% were joint families. About 41% of the PL collector were only could write their name while 15%, 39%, and 5% of the people were illiterate, had primary and secondary levels of education respectively. About two third (68%) of households were tin-shed and 24% were bamboo or straw made. About 69% of the people had semi-pucca latrine, 27% had Kacha and only 4% had modern sanitation facilities. All of the PL collectors were used tube-well water of 33% from Govt./NGO provided , 32% shared, 28% used neighbors and only 7% had their own tube-well. The health condition of the studied area was unsatisfactory, 51% of people got health services from village doctor while only 21% from sub-dictrict (Upazila) Health Complex. In the study area, there was no electricity in the household, 78% had solar energy facilities, and the remaining 22% use kerosene lamps. All of them used wood for cooking purposes. The average monthly income of the collectors was about 39% of the BDT 10000-15000 range. 43% reported that they could earn above BDT 9000 per month during peak PL collecting season only from PL collection. It was revealed that 46% of PL collectors were involved in fishing as an secondary occupation, 12% in agriculture, 21% in day labor, and 15% of them did nothing besides PL collection. 43% and 10% took financial loan from NGO and Mohajon respectively where 47% did not take any loan. The government provides a negligible amount of VGF support. Lack of scientific knowledge, illiteracy and lack of government support was found as the major constraints of the PL collector’s livelihood. In the value chain part, it was found that there was four actors (faria, aratdar, supplier, bepari) were involved at different nodes of value chain. PL collector in Hatiya sell 100 PL at BDT 80 and through the chain the farmer of Khulna has to buy this at BDT 220. The supplier makes the highest profit in this value addition which is 45% where faria, aratdar and bepari added 5%, 17% and 33% to the final price of PL.