scholarly journals Exploring Values and Beliefs in a Complex Coastal Social-Ecological System: A Case of Small-Scale Fishery and Dried Fish Production in Sagar Island, Indian Sundarbans

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sevil Berenji ◽  
Prateep Kumar Nayak ◽  
Ankur Shukla

The survivability of the small-scale fishery and dried fish production in Indian Sundarbans, despite increasing threats posed by climate, environmental, economic, and policy drivers, suggests that they possess certain unique strengths and capabilities. One thread of these strengths is connected to the fact that Sundarbans’ fishery system is strongly anchored in the values and beliefs of the local fishing communities. There is, however, limited empirical information available on the prevailing individual and collective attitudes, expectations, traditions, customs, and, above all, values and beliefs that strongly influence local fishing communities of Sundarbans. This manuscript aims to address this gap by drawing on qualitative data to (1) map the nature of values and beliefs associated with the Sundarbans’ Sagar Island fishing communities who are engaged in small-scale fishery and dried fish production; and (2) highlight the contributions of values and beliefs to the small-scale fishery and dried fish production systems of Sagar Island. Our study reveals that historical factors such as the patriarchal and patrilineal system prevalent in the Indian Sundarbans as well as the current drivers, including environmental and social-economic changes, create inconsistent values and beliefs among male and female members of its society. Issues around values and beliefs are heavily influenced by social-ecological realities comprising material, relational and subjective dimensions. They can range from being strictly personal to largely community-oriented as they are shaped by realities of gender, class, power dynamics, and politics. Values and beliefs are fundamental to human perception and cognition but often get neglected in mainstream literature covering human dimensions of resource management. Our research adds weight to the theoretical and place-based understanding of the contributions of values and beliefs to the small-scale fishery and dried fish production systems. We learn from the case study that values and beliefs can act as mirrors, reflecting the current as well as future realities of small-scale fisheries and dried fish production systems and provide important directions for sustainability and viability of the entire social-ecological system that hosts this sector.

Author(s):  
Muhammad Nur Arkham ◽  
Luky Adrianto ◽  
Yusli Wardiatno

Seagrass ecosystem has important roles in ecological and social factors to support fisherman income. The purpose of this research was to map the social-ecological system connectivity of seagrass with small-scale fisheries with networks perspective, to identify social-ecological connectivity of seagrass with fisheries resource availability approaches in small-scale fisheries, and to estimate the benefits of fish resources relation to seagrass ecosystem in Malang Rapat and Berakit vilages. Social-ecological system connectivity of seagrass was proven by the spatial distribution of fishing areas, networks map markets, and dynamics of small-scale fisheries catches in the study site. Social-ecocoligal connectivity of seagrass was also proven by fish catches dominated by Siganidae, Scaridae, Lethrinidae, and Lutjanidae families. The fishermen income was supported by seagrass ecosystem connectivity which contributed revenue from fish catches totally Rp 202,124,00/day in Malang Rapat village and Rp. 193,151,00/day  in Berakit village. Other benefit of seagrass ecosystem located nearby the beach was that the fishermen can have an easy access or less fuel for fishing operation.Keywords: seagrass ecosystem, network map, connectivity, small-scale fisheries, social-ecological system, Riau islands


Author(s):  
Muhammad Nur Arkham ◽  
Luky Adrianto ◽  
Yusli Wardiatno

<p><em>Seagrass ecosystem has important roles in ecological and social factors to support fisherman income. The purpose of this research was to map the social-ecological system connectivity of seagrass with small-scale fisheries with networks perspective, to identify social-ecological connectivity of seagrass with fisheries resource availability approaches in small-scale fisheries, and to estimate the benefits of fish resources relation to seagrass ecosystem in Malang Rapat and Berakit vilages. Social-ecological system connectivity of seagrass was proven by the spatial distribution of fishing areas, networks map markets, and dynamics of small-scale fisheries catches in the study site. Social-ecocoligal connectivity of seagrass was also proven by fish catches dominated by <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Siganidae</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Scaridae</span>, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lethrinidae</span>, and <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lutjanidae</span> families. The fishermen income was supported by seagrass ecosystem connectivity which contributed revenue from fish catches totally Rp 202,124,00/day in Malang Rapat village and Rp. 193,151,00/day  in Berakit village. Other benefit of seagrass ecosystem located nearby the beach was that the fishermen can have an easy access or less fuel for fishing operation.</em></p><p><em><strong><em>Keywords: </em></strong><em>seagrass ecosystem, network map, connectivity, small-scale fisheries, social-ecological system, Riau islands</em></em></p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 113 (5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise C. Gammage ◽  
Astrid Jarre ◽  
Charles Mather ◽  
◽  
◽  
...  

Variability on multiple temporal and spatial scales exposes fishers and fishing communities to multiple stressors. The impact and interplay of these stressors need to be considered to improve our understanding of social-ecological linkages if sustainable livelihoods are to be promoted. To this end, participant-led research was conducted in the small-scale traditional commercial linefishery of the southern Cape (South Africa) between Witsand and Mossel Bay. Knowledge and perceptions regarding stressors responsible for changes in the social-ecological system, which ultimately affect the fishers’ ability to fish successfully, were recorded using semi-formal interviews and focus groups with 50 participants. The results presented not only offer valuable insights into the day-to-day experiences of these fishers, but also expose knowledge gaps that exist in micro-scale interactions influencing the fishery system. An analysis of various stressors is presented, which includes the impacts of and responses to climate variability; challenges presented by fisheries policies and regulatory frameworks; social and economic considerations; inadequate infrastructure; and general political considerations. The development of a more comprehensive understanding of stressors that affect the social-ecological system at various scales provides valuable insights into a fishery system that is currently not well described, and provides the basis for analyses into vulnerability and resilience.


Author(s):  
Celinda Palm ◽  
Sarah E. Cornell ◽  
Tiina Häyhä

AbstractThe fashion and textiles industry, and policymakers at all levels, are showing an increased interest in the concept of circular economy as a way to decrease business risks and negative environmental impacts. However, focus is placed mainly on the material ‘stuff’ of textile fashion and its biophysical harms. The current material focus has several shortcomings, because fashion is a social-ecological system and cannot be understood merely by addressing its environmental dimensions. In this paper, we rethink the fashion system from a critical social-ecological perspective. The driver-state-response framework shows social drivers and ecological impacts as an adaptive social-ecological system, exposing how these interacting aspects need to be addressed for sustainable and resilient implementation of circular economy. We show how current responses to global sustainability challenges have so far fallen short. Our overall aim is to expand possibilities for reframing responses that better reflect the complex links between the global fashion system, culture and creativity and the dynamics of the living planet. We argue that reducing planetary pressure from the global fashion and textiles industry requires greater recognition of the system’s social drivers with more emphasis on the many cross-scale links between social and ecological dimensions. Resilient decisions aiming for sustainable circularity of the fashion industry must therefore pay attention to social activities beyond the industry value chain, not just material flows within it.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 451
Author(s):  
Moritz von Cossel ◽  
Lorena Agra Pereira ◽  
Iris Lewandowski

The global demand for plant biomass to provide bioenergy and heat is continuously increasing because of a growing interest among many industrialized and developing countries towards climate sound and renewable energy supply. The exacerbation of land-use conflicts proliferates social-ecological demands on future bioenergy cropping systems. Perennial herbaceous wild plant mixtures (WPMs) represent an approach to providing social-ecologically more sustainably produced biogas substrate that has gained increasing public and political interest only in recent years. The focus of this study lies on three perennial wild plant species (WPS) that usually dominate the biomass yield performance of WPM cultivation. These WPS were compared with established biogas crops in terms of their substrate-specific methane yield (SMY) and lignocellulosic composition. The plant samples were investigated in a small-scale mesophilic discontinuous biogas batch test for determining the SMY. All WPS were found to have significantly lower SMY (241.5–248.5 lN kgVS−1) than maize (337.5 lN kgVS−1). This was attributed to higher contents of lignin (9.7–12.8% of dry matter) as well as lower contents of hemicellulose (9.9–11.5% of dry matter) in the WPS. Only minor, non-significant differences to cup plant and Virginia mallow were observed. Thus, when planning WPS as a diversification measure in biogas cropping systems, their lower SMY should be considered.


2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 767-779
Author(s):  
Juan de Dios García-Villegas ◽  
Anastacio García-Martínez ◽  
Carlos Manuel Arriaga-Jordán ◽  
Monica Elizama Ruiz-Torres ◽  
Adolfo Armando Rayas-Amor ◽  
...  

AbstractThe objective of the study was to characterize small-scale dairy production systems to identify the technological preferences according to the farmer and farm characteristics and to analyze the importance and role of the information communication technologies (ICTs) in the dissemination of information related to management and livestock activities. To collect the data, a survey was applied to 170 small-scale dairy farmers from central Mexico. To characterize the farms, a factor analysis (FA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed. To compare and identify differences between groups, a Kruskal–Wallis test was conducted. Four factors that explain 70.93% of the accumulated variance were identified; these factors explain the use of technology, production characteristics, social connections, and use of ICTs. The cluster analysis identified four groups. Group 1 was integrated by farmers with more experience and the largest farms. Group 2 had higher studies and use of ICTs. Group 3 was formed by young farmers but had a low use of technology. Group 4 contained older farmers with a low use of technology. The young farmers with higher studies have begun to incorporate ICTs into their daily activities on the farm, as observed in Group 2. Smartphones were the most used and were considered important by the farmers of the four groups, since they enable interaction with other farmers and the dissemination of topics of interest related with the farm. In conclusion, four group of farmers were differentiated; therefore, different extension approaches should be implemented to take into account the preferences and the technologies considered most important for each group. The ICTs are emerging technologies among small-scale dairy farmers to communicate information related to livestock management, mainly by young farmers with studies of secondary, as observed in Group 2.


2020 ◽  
Vol 237 ◽  
pp. 104028
Author(s):  
Jesús Armando Salinas-Martínez ◽  
Rodolfo Rogelio Posadas-Domínguez ◽  
Leydi Diana Morales-Díaz ◽  
Samuel Rebollar-Rebollar ◽  
Rolando Rojo-Rubio

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