Understanding the Livelihood of Coastal People Involved In Catching Crabs from the Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF)

Abstract

A field level survey was conducted to observe the livelihood of coastal people involved in catching crabs from the Sundarban Reserve Forest (SRF) from July, 2011 to February 2012, during the season of crab collection It was found that about 82% of them were male and the rest (18%) were female. All the collectors (100%) were Hindus. It was observed that 28% of the collectors were illiterate and 55% of them leaved the school before class two. About 31% of them had 6-7 members in their family, whereas 47%, 13% and 9% of them had 4-5, above 7 and 2-3 members in their family, respectively. Most of the collectors (62%) lived in mud walled with golpata shed, while 29%, 7% and 2% lived in mud walled with straw, mud walled with tin/asbestos and wood walled with tin shed house, respectively. It was found that 30% of the collectors were landless, while 41%, 18%, 7% and 4% of them had 0-5, 6-10, 11-15 and above 15 decimal lands, respectively. The main occupation of them was crab collection and secondary occupation were fishing (24%), craft and gear making (4%), labor (61%), wood collection from the Sundarbans (3)% and van pulling (8%). Most of the crab collectors (60%) earned at average 200-300 taka per day whereas the another 25% and 15% of them earned at average 150-200 taka and 300-400 taka per day, respectively while most of the crab collectors (62%) spent at average 180-250 taka per day whereas the another 24% and 14% of them spent at average 90-180 taka and 200-350 taka per day, respectively. About 63% of them took dadon from money lenders, whereas only 36% did not take dadon. Most of them (66%) sold their catches to the depot, whereas 12% and 22% of them sold crabs to the foriah and local market, respectively.