Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh
Social resilience is an essential aspect of sustainability in environmental management, especially in poor resource-dependent communities. To better understand the dynamics of social resilience, we have conducted a primarily qualitative study of communities dependent on hilsa fishing in two coastal...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
MDPI AG
2018-09-01
|
Series: | Sustainability |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3501 |
id |
doaj-fd3f5f9b4c5e457691ec6405744ab8ce |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-fd3f5f9b4c5e457691ec6405744ab8ce2020-11-24T23:55:18ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502018-09-011010350110.3390/su10103501su10103501Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in BangladeshMohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder0Md. Abdul Wahab1Simo Sarkki2Petra Schneider3Mohammad Mahmudul Islam4Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Fisheries and Environmental Management Group, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, FinlandWorldFish, Bangladesh and South Asia Office, House# 22B, Road# 07, Block-F, Banani, Dhaka 1213, BangladeshCultural Anthropology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 1000, FI-90014 Oulu, FinlandDepartment for Water, Environment, Civil Engineering and Safety, University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Breitscheidstraße 2, D-39114 Magdeburg, GermanyDepartment of Coastal and Marine Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, BangladeshSocial resilience is an essential aspect of sustainability in environmental management, especially in poor resource-dependent communities. To better understand the dynamics of social resilience, we have conducted a primarily qualitative study of communities dependent on hilsa fishing in two coastal villages in southern Bangladesh. This study applies concepts of social-ecological system (SES), social resilience and co-management in outlining our qualitative data and framing its interpretation. Our findings show that while the establishment of hilsa sanctuary areas has enhanced the previously low ecological sustainability of local small-scale fishing, the management of this program has challenged the social resilience of hilsa fishers by creating new inequalities in the distribution of power and privilege, in terms of the ways in which seasonal fishing bans are enforced and compensation for income loss during the ban periods is distributed. Based on our findings, we suggest specific measures for strengthening social resilience at the local level, including building community networks, developing community infrastructures, updating existing rules and regulations, providing alternative means of generating income for fishers during the crisis periods (e.g. natural disasters and fishing ban periods) and more active sharing of responsibility between stakeholders and government for management of the hilsa fishery. These findings are also applicable to understanding the issues beyond rules and regulations that co-management arrangements need to address in order to be successful and to enhancing the function of co-management arrangements in improving social resilience within resource-dependent communities.http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3501hilsasmall-scale fishing communitiessocial-ecological systemssocial resilienceco-management |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder Md. Abdul Wahab Simo Sarkki Petra Schneider Mohammad Mahmudul Islam |
spellingShingle |
Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder Md. Abdul Wahab Simo Sarkki Petra Schneider Mohammad Mahmudul Islam Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh Sustainability hilsa small-scale fishing communities social-ecological systems social resilience co-management |
author_facet |
Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder Md. Abdul Wahab Simo Sarkki Petra Schneider Mohammad Mahmudul Islam |
author_sort |
Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder |
title |
Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh |
title_short |
Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh |
title_full |
Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh |
title_fullStr |
Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh |
title_full_unstemmed |
Enhancing Social Resilience of the Coastal Fishing Communities: A Case Study of Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha H.) Fishery in Bangladesh |
title_sort |
enhancing social resilience of the coastal fishing communities: a case study of hilsa (tenualosa ilisha h.) fishery in bangladesh |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sustainability |
issn |
2071-1050 |
publishDate |
2018-09-01 |
description |
Social resilience is an essential aspect of sustainability in environmental management, especially in poor resource-dependent communities. To better understand the dynamics of social resilience, we have conducted a primarily qualitative study of communities dependent on hilsa fishing in two coastal villages in southern Bangladesh. This study applies concepts of social-ecological system (SES), social resilience and co-management in outlining our qualitative data and framing its interpretation. Our findings show that while the establishment of hilsa sanctuary areas has enhanced the previously low ecological sustainability of local small-scale fishing, the management of this program has challenged the social resilience of hilsa fishers by creating new inequalities in the distribution of power and privilege, in terms of the ways in which seasonal fishing bans are enforced and compensation for income loss during the ban periods is distributed. Based on our findings, we suggest specific measures for strengthening social resilience at the local level, including building community networks, developing community infrastructures, updating existing rules and regulations, providing alternative means of generating income for fishers during the crisis periods (e.g. natural disasters and fishing ban periods) and more active sharing of responsibility between stakeholders and government for management of the hilsa fishery. These findings are also applicable to understanding the issues beyond rules and regulations that co-management arrangements need to address in order to be successful and to enhancing the function of co-management arrangements in improving social resilience within resource-dependent communities. |
topic |
hilsa small-scale fishing communities social-ecological systems social resilience co-management |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3501 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT mohammadmojibulhoquemozumder enhancingsocialresilienceofthecoastalfishingcommunitiesacasestudyofhilsatenualosailishahfisheryinbangladesh AT mdabdulwahab enhancingsocialresilienceofthecoastalfishingcommunitiesacasestudyofhilsatenualosailishahfisheryinbangladesh AT simosarkki enhancingsocialresilienceofthecoastalfishingcommunitiesacasestudyofhilsatenualosailishahfisheryinbangladesh AT petraschneider enhancingsocialresilienceofthecoastalfishingcommunitiesacasestudyofhilsatenualosailishahfisheryinbangladesh AT mohammadmahmudulislam enhancingsocialresilienceofthecoastalfishingcommunitiesacasestudyofhilsatenualosailishahfisheryinbangladesh |
_version_ |
1725463199593005056 |