Pathways to Social-Ecological Viability for Mangrove Dependent Small-Scale Fisheries in the Bangladesh Sundarbans

Abstract

It is well described in the literature that mangrove-dependent small-scale fisheries (MDSSF) are increasingly vulnerable to drivers of change. However, the survivability of many MDSSF communities indicates that there are strategies in place to cope and adapt to drivers of change. It is poorly understood what adaptive responses are used to achieve viability, and how the transition from vulnerability to viability can be mobilized. Given that it is not conceivable to eliminate the uncertainty associated with the vulnerabilities that MDSSF experience, it is important to understand how viability can be achieved. In congruence with a transformative phenomenological research approach, this study will address viability in mangrove-dependent small-scale fisheries (MDSSF) using a social-ecological systems (SES) framework, with a broad goal of describing social-ecological viability in MDSSF and identifying pathways through which this can be achieved from the perspectives of the research participants. SES is an important framework for understanding the nature and dynamics of viability in MDSSF, and more specifically how it is rooted in interactions between social, political, institutional and ecological factors of a complex, multilevel system. Two objectives guide this research: (1) to describe the magnitude and impacts of drivers of change and vulnerabilities and (2) to understand key response strategies and conceivable pathways to achieve viability in MDSSF. The study methods include three in-depth, qualitative case studies consisting of household surveys and a focus group discussion in the Bangladesh Sundarbans Forest. Key findings include identification of five components that contribute to social-ecological viability. Results support that bottom-up strategies rooted in the perspectives and knowledge of local resource users are critical for developing a management approach for mangrove fisheries that supports the long-term viability of dependent small-scale fishing communities. At a regional level, this research provides information to develop local and specific strategies towards building social-ecological viability in the case study locations. At a global level, this study will be applied to the I-ADApT Framework and contribute to the Vulnerability to Viability Global Partnership database, providing a case for comparison of mangrove-dependent small-scale fishery viability which can be used in developing policy and management recommendations.