Report on Socio-economy Analysis and Livelihoods of the Fishery Villages in Laputta and

Bogalay Townships

Report on Socio-economy Analysis and Livelihoods of the Fishery Villages in Laputta and

Bogalay Townships

Study CoverageBogalay

Laputta

• Two villages in Fresh Water Region• Two villages in Brackish Water Region• Two villages in Saline Water Region

Two major Townships

Illitrate

Read/write

Monastry education

Primary

Middle

High school

Graduate

1%

3%

15%

53%

20%

8%

0%

3%

5%

16%

49%

20%

5%

1%Bogalay

Laputta

<50000

50001-100000

100001-150000

150001-200000

200001-250000

>250000

4%

23%

31%

27%

7%

9%

5%

28%

36%

20%

5%

5% BogalayLaputta

Socioeconomic Profile of the Fishery Villages

Agriculture

Fishery

Livestock

MSE

Casual

9%

81%

3%

1%

6%

11%

79%

2%

1%

7% Occupation(Livelihood)

Laputta

Bogalay

2%18%

76%

4%

Wealth

RichBetter offPoorV. Poor

75% of respondents finished only Primary

31% of respondents Are in chronic poverty

80% of respondents Are considered POORNon-resilience to Shocks

80% of respondents Are landless fishermen

Income Education

Livelihoods• Fishery and Paddy Farming are the main livelihoods in the targeted villages of the two townships. • 80% of respondents are engaging in fishery as their main livelihood

80%

2% 1%

10%

7%

7%

Gender• Statistically female constitutes 51% of the population • Traditionally men are responsible to make family livings and hence women mostly stay home and help the husband’s livelihood, and few are engaging in home based micro business (1%)• 2% of respondent HH reported that decision making power is on men, 4% reported that it is on woman, 94% of HH reported that it was equally decided hence also reported husband provided 100% of his earning to the wife to manage the family expenses

Total Laputta Bogalay

49%

47%

52%51%

53%

48%

Male & Female Ratio Male

Female 4%

94%

2%

Decision Making

FemaleEqualMale

Poverty80% of households (997) out of the total of 1255 households in six villages are considered poor (or) very poor households and

indeed they are landless fishermen

2%18%

76%

4%

Wealth Ranking

Rich

Better off

Poor

V. Poor

Access to Land

89% of Fishery HHs in Bogalay and 91% in LaputtaDOES NOT have access to agricultural land, however small

percentages of fishery HHs ranging from 9% to 11% have access to some Agricultural land and are considered ‘better off’

Laputta Bogalay Fresh Saline Brakish Fresh Saline BrakishTownship Laputta Bogale

9% 11%4%

8%16%

12%8%

12%

91% 89%96%

92%84% 88% 92% 88%

Yes

No

Investment for Fishing Gear

Low Fish Catch

Boats are small

Fishing plots are small

Fishing nets damage

Lack of manpower

No problem

49%

27%

8%

8%

3%

1%

6%

Challenges in Fishery Livelihood• Investment for Fishing Gear (i.e. Access to Finance) is the number one challenge for the fishermen, 100% of respondents claimed that they have no access (i.e. not qualify) to institutional microfinance• Low fish catch in the river is the second highest concern

Fishing Rights85% to 100% of respondent fishermen are engaging in river (inland) fisheryInland Fishing rights’ is also one of the major concerns and a burden for the poor fishery households in the Delta, especially the “competitive Tender system” of Bogalay was mentioned as a biggest constraint for the Bogalay fishermen, on the other hand “per net per year License system” in Laputta, was mentioned as favorable system for the poor fishermen, hence evidently Bogalay fishermen are poorer than Laputta fishermen.

Coastal River Creek

2%

85%

14%0%

100%

0%

Laputta

Bogalay

Rich Betteroff Poor V. poor

41%

16%

75%

8%8%

42%48%

2%

BogalayLaputta

Fishing net Motorboat Boat

86%

31%

18%

92%

34% 28%

Laputta

Bogalay

Fishing Gear 86 % of fishermen in Laputta and 92% in Bogalay owned some fishing nets. Over 30% owned motor boats and 18% in Laputta and 28% in Bogalay owned non-motor boats, however the rest

about 45% of fishermen does not owned boat, and 8% to 14% of fishermen does not owned fishing net or boat.

(The cost of the motorized boat and nets is estimated at 2000 US$)

1-10 Viss 11-20 Viss 21-30 Viss 31-40 Viss 41-50 Viss >50 Viss

22% 22%

16% 16%13%

11%

42%

9%

33%

5% 5% 7%

Laputta

Bogalay

Low Fish Catch• 89% of fishermen in Laputta and 93% in Bogalay are able to catch less than 50 viss of fish per month, less than 2 viss per day (below the FAO estimates 2012) • Average income of the majority of fishermen is estimated at 1$ per day (below national poverty line “3$ per day” – IHLCA – UNDP 2011)

All More than half

Half Less than half

19%

7%

55%

19%

8%

18%

53%

21%

LaputtaBogalay

COPING MECHANISMEating Captured Fish

About 79% of fishery family in Bogalay and 81% in Laputta are eating at least half of their captured fish

Eating Captured Fish

Rare Sometimes Often

4% 4%

0%

12% 12%

3%

Laputta

Bogalay

COPING MECHANISMSkipping Meal

• 27% of fishery family in Bogalay and 8% in Laputta are skipping the meal (rare, sometime and often (3% Bogalay))

Skipping Meal

COPING MECHANISMDebt Cycle

41% of fishery family in Laputta and 49% in Bogalay reported that they are in viscous debt cycle for whole year, Majority of respondents claimed that they do not have access to institutional microfinance because they are not qualified for the strict qualifications set by the MFIs

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

0

0

00

0

0

00 0 0 0

0

2%

8%

12%

5% 5% 5%2% 2% 0%

6% 6%

49%No. of months in debt per year

Laputta Bogalay

Conclusion

• Approximately 60% of population in Delta are engaging in small scale inland fishery sector, (60% of 7 million/5 = 840,000 HHs) and 80% of them (672,000 HHs) are considered poor. • Poor fishery households of the Ayeyarwady Delta are struggling to meet their daily food and essential household needs, therefore are socio-economically disadvantaged.

Challenges

Social Concern• Access to finance is the number one challenge for the poor fishery households, hence 41% to 49& of the households are living under the poverty line, thus altogether 80% of the rural households claimed as ‘poor’ and does not qualify for any Microfinance projects although numbers of MFIs are operating in the Area

Environmental and Economy Concern • Low Fish catch is the second highest concern of the fishery households, and average fish catch is reported at less than 2 viss per day which is lower than the average estimated by the FAO in 2012.

Recommendations

• A strategy for sustainable livelihoods development and poverty reduction for the poor fishery households in the Delta is by default strongly correlated with a focus on development assistances for small scale fisheries, livestock, and to a lesser extent micro enterprise sectors

• Access to Finance (Save the Fishermen)(1)It is recommended to establish community based Fishermen

Cooperatives (or) ROSCA (Rotating Saving & Credit Association) (consists of at least 10 poor fishery HHs per group)

(2)One time cash grant of 2500$ per group should be injected to the each group as a first rotating grant, hence effective and sustainable saving and rotating mechanism should also be establish benefit the everyone in the group

The objective of the fund is to finance the poor fishermen in (a)purchasing of fishing boat and gears with their own money (2000$)(b)establishing of livestock (or) MSE at home as a secondary income

generation (500$)

• Sustainable fishing practice and enforcement• - It is also recommend that sustainable fishing practices should be

made legal and enforced strictly