A new report from a nonprofit research organization on aquaculture in India shows that even poor farmers can benefit from commercial aquaculture.
WorldFish, which studies the role of fishing and aquaculture in reducing hunger and poverty, said the new report, “Bangladesh: A Comparative Study,” flies in the face of conventional thinking that aquaculture was not accessible by poorer farmers or workers. The study covered six communities with contrasting patterns of aquaculture development.
“In the study, more small landowners and resource-poor farmers were shown to practice commercial aquaculture than semi-subsistence forms, for example from household ponds,” the group said in a statement.
The study also found higher employment than in seasonal agriculture, such as rice production, and that small and medium-scale commercial aquaculture showed more benefits vs. problems than large-scale operations.
“By identifying the modes of aquaculture that most benefits the poor we can best direct efforts to bolster this sector,” said Stephen Hall, director general, WorldFish. “While we have seen the detrimental effects of large scale aquaculture for communities it is now clearer that the benefits of smaller scale commercial operations are potentially great in increasing food security and employment.”
