Role of Shrimp Farming in Socio-economic Elevation and Professional Satisfaction in Coastal Communities of Southern Bangladesh.

Abstract

Shrimp culture economics has a significant influence on the socio-economic status of coastal communities. Here, we investigated the shrimp farmers' financial and perceptual reactions to analyze shrimp farming's direct impact on their socio-economic status, sustainability, resilience, and the cultural environment. Our outcomes alluded that the farming community's satisfaction level was higher than their concern for environmental impacts. Local shrimp farming communities expressed satisfaction about their present income from shrimp farming compared to pre-farming socio-economic status. Recently, shrimp farming has improved the financial gains of farming communities than in the past, which encouraged them to excel in shrimp culture than agriculture. The household construction style and materials used improved after shrimp farming. The shrimp farmers (56 %) expressed salinity and abridged rice production as the leading reason for the shift to shrimp farming. The income level showed a 72 % satisfaction level among the farmers. Profitability and daily fish demand were the positive impacts, while the lack of fodder and destroying vegetation were listed as negative impacts of shrimp farming. There was a decline in livestock and homegrown poultry farming and trees, which could also be linked with increasing shrimp farming activities. Shrimp farming helped increase the income level from 26 % to 36 % for the income range groups of USD 101–150 and > USD 150. The 78 % of participants strongly agreed that shrimp farming was more profitable than rice culture, while 60 % expressed a preference for shrimp farming on freshwater fish culture, especially for better production. In conclusion, shrimp farming has brought socio-economic improvements in the household and lifestyles of the shrimp farming communities. This example is of great learning for the marginalized and financially threatened coastal communities in developing and underdeveloped nations.