Fishing as forest based livelihood in Sundarban, India

The world heritage site Sundarban is the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world. Department Of Sundarban Affair, Governmentof West Bengal estimates nearly 0.5 million are engaged in fishing. In this paper I investigate the livelihood strategies of fishers and crab collectors in three villages of the Sundarbans. These are river side villages where most of the people depend on fishing for their livelihood. Data were collected using questionnaires and informal interviews with key informants. Increasing population pressure and rural infrastructure development causes rapid depletion of biodiversity and degradation of natural resources in Sundarbans. Present paper exhibits emerging livelihood problems and socio-economic uplift of fishing community in Indian Sundarbans.