Page 47 - World Aquaculture Magazine - March 2011

World Aquaculture 45
Fish culture in the Holholia dead-river.
Fig. 2. Primary livelihoods of char dwellers in the study area.
benefits to char dwellers.
Also, potential livelihood
impacts are identified as a
result of dead-river fish cul-
ture. Finally, the article sets
out some preliminary con-
clusions about sustainable
dead-river fish culture in the
char area of northern Ban-
gladesh.
Study Methods
The study was conduct-
ed in a char of the Holholia
River in the Raumari sub-
district under the Kurigram
district of northern Bangla-
desh (Figure 1). A group of
70 households, including 53
males (76 percent) and 17
females (24 percent) were
involved in fish culture of
this dead-river. Dead-river
fish culture developed as
an indigenous technology
with support from Techno-
logical Assistance for Rural
Advancement (TARA) and
Rural Society Develop-
ment Association (RSDA),
both of which are partner organiza-
tions of Chars Livelihoods Program
(CLP - a UK Department for Inter-
national Development funded proj-
ect). A combination of participatory,
qualitative and quantitative methods
was used for primary data collection.
Data were collected for a period of
three months from January to March
2008. A total of 30 char dwellers
were randomly selected for question-
naire interviews. Char dwellers were
interviewed in their houses and/or
on the river banks. The interviews,
lasting about an hour, focused on
the dead-river fish culture system,
productivity, production constraints
and socioeconomic benefits. Several
visits were made to the selected char
to observe dead-river fish culture and
to cross-check the information pro-
vided in the interviews.
In addition to questionnaire inter-
views, a participatory rural appraisal
tool focus group discussion (FGD)
was conducted with char dwellers
in the study area. The advantage
of FGD over other methods is that
it allows wider participation of the
community, therefore the informa-
tion collected is likely to be more ac-
curate. A total of 82 char dwellers,
including women and children, were
conducted through 10 FGD sessions,
where each group consisted of 6 to
12 persons. The duration of each ses-
sion was approximately two hours.
FGD sessions were held under large
trees, in front of village shops and on
river banks where participants could
sit, feel comfortable and were easily
observed. FGD was used to obtain
information on bottlenecks and op-
portunities associated with dead-
river aquaculture. Cross-check inter-
views were also conducted with key
informants, such as CLP staff and
relevant non-governmental organi-
zation (NGO) workers, including
TARA and RSDA, for the validation
of the information gathered. A to-
tal of 15 key informants were inter-
viewed in their offices and/or houses.
Collected data were analyzed using
Microsoft Excel software for produc-
ing descriptive statistics.
Char Livelihoods
Char dwellers in the study
area typically pursued more
than one occupation. Ac-
cording to the survey, 60
percent of respondents stat-
ed that their primary occu-
pation was fishing, while 27
percent and 13 percent were
occupied in agriculture and
livestock rearing (Figure 2).
Among fishers, the major-
ity were professional, while
the rest were seasonal and
subsistence fishers. Profes-
sional fishers depended on
fishing almost year round,
while seasonal fishers were
involved with fishing during
a part of the year, and sub-
sistence fishers were oppor-
tunistic, inasmuch as they
fished mainly for household
consumption.
Fishers experienced
tropical climatic condi-
tions, dominated by the dry
(January-March), pre-mon-
soon (April-June), mon-
soon (July-September), and
post-monsoon (October-December)
seasons. Most fishers appeared to be
active during the monsoon. As soon
as the monsoon rain came and water
level increased, the number of fishers
increased simultaneously. When the
water level started to recede during the
post-monsoon period, the number of
fishers increased because there was an
abundance of fish. However, fishing
was limited during the dry and pre-
monsoon seasons. Storms with thun-
der and heavy rain are common dur-
ing the pre-monsoon and monsoon
seasons, while the rest of the year is
typically calm and clear. During the
monsoon, much of the area remained
inundated with floodwater, which af-
fected the char. Floodwaters started to
recede during the post-monsoon and,
by the end of December, the entire area
became dry, except the main course of
the river. During the dry season, the
char land was suitable for agriculture
and livestock rearing.
One occupation cannot provide
full time employment for char dwell-
ers, therefore the income derived may