Vol. 10, Special Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
Misha Roy, Ajanta Dey and Deblina Chatterjee

Abstract:
One study was conducted mainly in 4 zones of Sundarban namely Sagar-Namkhana, Matla, Saptamukhani and Bidya-Raimongol zone, to assess the prospects of crab culture as an alternative livelihood from sustainable development perspective in Sundarban, West Bengal, India from September 2018 to February 2020. Mainly farming of orange mud crabs (Scylla olivacea) were observed in the survey sites. Data were collected from the farmers through a semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed. According to the zones and coordinates average weight of the mud crabs varied; in Matla zone average weight of mud crabs was observed the highest (300gm). The survey indicated that mainly male villagers are engaged in mud crabs rearing or collection process and most of them prefer traditional process for rearing mud crabs. Most of the respondents have their fisheries and rear crabs, collecting crablets from the riverside as a partial livelihood option. Profitability Index (PI) and Benefit-Cost ratio (BCR) reveal that mud crab farming can be a profitable alternative livelihood for the disaster-prone people of Sundarban exploiting its unutilized and under-utilized brackish water resources by developing appropriate management practice through participatory planning, and capacitating the community for implementing the same.