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Governance and Power Dynamics in a Small-Scale Hilsa Shad ( Tenualosa ilisha ) Fishery: A Case Study from Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder

    (Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Doctoral Programme in Interdisciplinary Environmental Science (DENVI), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Aili Pyhälä

    (Department of Geosciences and Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland)

  • Md. Abdul Wahab

    (WorldFish, Bangladesh, and South Asia Office, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh)

  • Simo Sarkki

    (Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland)

  • Petra Schneider

    (Department for Water, Environment, Civil Engineering and Safety, University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, D-39114 Magdeburg, Germany)

  • Mohammad Mahmudul Islam

    (Department of Coastal and Marine Fisheries, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
    Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St.John’s, NL A1B 3X9, Canada)

Abstract

This paper considers the hilsa shad ( Tenualosa ilisha ) fishery of southern Bangladesh as a case study regarding governance and power dynamics at play in a small-scale fishery, and the relevance of these for the sustainable management of coastal fisheries. Qualitative methods, involving in-depth individual interviews (n = 128) and focus group discussions (n = 8) with key stakeholders in the hilsa fishery, were used to capture multiple perspectives on governance from those in different positions in the relative power structures studied, while facilitating insightful discussions and reflections. The analysis here is based on a power cube framework along three power dimensions (levels, spaces, and forms) in Bangladesh’s hilsa fishery. The study displays an imbalance in the present hilsa governance structure, with some stakeholders exercising more power than others, sidelining small-scale fishers, and encouraging increasing illegal fishing levels that ultimately harm both the fisheries and those dependent on them. To overcome this, we propose a co-management system that can play a vital role in equalizing power asymmetry among hilsa fishery stakeholders and ensure effective hilsa fishery governance. Our results suggest that recognizing analyzed power dynamics has substantial implications for the planning and implementation of such co-management and the long-term sustainability of the hilsa fishery.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder & Aili Pyhälä & Md. Abdul Wahab & Simo Sarkki & Petra Schneider & Mohammad Mahmudul Islam, 2020. "Governance and Power Dynamics in a Small-Scale Hilsa Shad ( Tenualosa ilisha ) Fishery: A Case Study from Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-24, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:14:p:5738-:d:385490
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maruf Ahmed & Sabrina Jannat Mitu & Petra Schneider & Masud Alam & Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder & Md. Mostafa Shamsuzzaman, 2021. "Socio-Economic Conditions of Small-Scale Hilsa Fishers in the Meghna River Estuary of Chandpur, Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-18, November.

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