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Scientific Mud Crab Culture Practices in Sundarbans Delta: A Step Towards the Betterment of Sundarbans People

Biplab Bhowmik
Parasitology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Diamond
Harbour – 743368, West Bengal, India.

Lisa Basu
Department of Zoology, Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Diamond Harbour – 743368, West
Bengal, India.

Priya Roy
Department of Zoology, Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Diamond Harbour – 743368, West
Bengal, India.

Published online: 17th December, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.52756/boesd.2023.e02.023

Keywords: Mangrove ecosystem, Traditional Fish farming, Mud Crab culture, Sundarbans.

Abstract:

Sundarbans means ‘beautiful forest’. This largest mangrove ecosystem is home to a huge species diversity—from mammals to reptiles, birds to fishes, crabs to zooplanktons. This densely populated area becomes increasingly vulnerable due to devastating cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels, which most significantly affect the lives of the people in the Sundarbans. Mud crab farming has become a beacon of hope for those belonging to the Sundarbans. This farming paves the way for employment opportunities, supports the economic lifestyle of the people, and helps establish women’s empowerment in such adverse areas. This small-scale, profitable business has a high market demand in both national and international markets. This farming requires little capital and has low labour costs. If the traditional way of farming can be combined with science-based, improved practices of mud crab culture, it can be highly beneficial for the future. These scientific methods can be instrumental in increasing production rates, elevating the protein value of crab meat, and combating mud crab diseases to reduce mortality rates. Thus, mud crab farming can be a profitable alternative livelihood for the disaster-prone people of Sundarbans, exploiting its underutilized and unutilized brackish water resources by developing appropriate management practices through participatory planning and capacitating the community for implementing the same.

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A Basic Overview of Environment and Sustainable Development [Volume: 2]

How to Cite
Biplab Bhowmik, Lisa Basu, Priya Roy (2023). Scientific Mud Crab Culture Practices in Sundarbans Delta: A Step Towards the Betterment of Sundarbans People. © International Academic Publishing House (IAPH), Shubhadeep Roychoudhury, Tanmay Sanyal, Koushik Sen & Sudipa Mukherjee Sanyal (eds.), A Basic Overview of Environment and Sustainable Development [Volume: 2], pp. 347-353. ISBN: 978-81-962683-8-1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52756/boesd.2023.e02.023

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