Assessing livelihood outcomes for fishing communities engaged in cooperative society: A case study in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a located on the delta part of Bay of Bengal along the India Ocean in South Asia. This offers rural communities with opportunities for aquaculture. However, fishing community have remained neglected in terms of extension services and investment assistance. While cooperative societies have historically provided a model for rural development based on synergy around social capital, fishing communities remain unorganized and struggling to improve their investment. Hence this paper answers the question: What are the factors that contribute to changes in the livelihood outcomes of fishing communities operating under fishery cooperative society as a model for rural development in Bangladesh? Data were collected from two villages and analyzed using stepwise Multiple Linear Regression Models. The aim was to determine factors that influence the livelihood changes of the fishing community. Findings indicated that fishing had significant influence on the livelihood of members of the fishing community. The main factor included annual family income, farm size, and knowledge on fishing activities. Collectively, the factors explained 53% variation in the livelihood changes of members of the fishing community for more than two-third (82 percent) of the respondents. The most influential challenges, from highest to lowest, included corruption and nepotism, poor training facilities, and political interference. We conclude the Department of Fisheries need to undertake policy reforms including regulation against corruption and accountability of extension services providers, extension services provision to improve the knowledge and practices for fishing community, and political willingness of the ruling regime in supporting policy implementation.