Contribution of Floodplain Wetland (Beel) Fisheries to Livelihood Security and Animal Protein Intake among Fishers of Eastern India

This study has been conducted in two floodplain wetlands (locally known as ‘beel’) of West Bengal (Kholsi and Akaipur) and one of Assam (Deepor) during 2013–14 and 2014–15 by selecting 100 fishermen households from West Bengal and 80 fishermen households from Assam randomly. The study has indicated that the socioeconomic conditions of the fishermen households were not encouraging. The study has observed fishing as the main occupation for around 70 per cent of the fishers which contributed more than 60 per cent to their household income in West Bengal. In Deepor beel, it was found that no fishermen household was getting less than 40 per cent livelihood from the beel. The study has shown that fishes were the only source of animal protein for more than 71 per cent of the households. Similarly, more than 68 per cent of households in West Bengal got animal proteins through fishes, from the beel. Thus, fishes were main source of nutrition security for these households. The study has stressed on the need of designing appropriate management strategies to ensure sustainable use of wetland resources for food and nutrition security.