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12 J. Mgmt. & Sustainability 1 (2022)
Fishing in Salty Waters: Poverty, Occupational Saline Exposure, and Women's Health in the Indian Sundarban

handle is hein.journals/jms12 and id is 5 raw text is: Journal of Management and Sustainability; Vol. 12, No. 1; 2022 ISSN1925-4725 E-ISSN 1925-4733 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education Fishing in Salty Waters: Poverty, Occupational Saline Exposure, and Women's Health in the Indian Sundarban Susmita Dasgupta, David Wheeler2 & Santadas Ghosh3 Development Research Group, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA 2Consultant, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA 3 Department of Economics and Politics, Visva-Bharati, West Bengal, India Correspondence: Susmita Dasgupta, Development Research Group, MSN: MC-3-308, The World Bank, 1818 H Street, Washington, DC 20008, USA. Received: October 16, 2021 Accepted: December 1, 2021 Online Published: December 17, 2021 doi:10.5539/jms.v12n1pl URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/jms.v12n1pl Abstract Collecting wild tiger prawn seedlings, also known as prawn post-larvae (PL), from rivers and creeks is an important occupation for more than 100,000 poor women in India's Sundarban estuarine delta. Prawn PL collecting requires many hours of immersion in saline river water. This paper uses a large household survey to explore the determinants of poor women's engagement in this occupation and the health impacts. The results reveal high significance for two variables: (i) the opportunity wage, proxied by years of education and (ii) child-care demands, proxied by the household child-dependency ratio. Together, these variables are sufficient to distinguish between women who have no engagement with prawn PL collecting and those with many years of engagement. The probability of self-reported health problems is also significantly higher for women with more saline exposure from prawn PL collecting and whose drinking water is from tube wells with higher salinity. Keywords: health perception, occupational choice, poverty/environment nexus, salinity exposure, Sundarban, women's education Highlights * Analysis of new household survey data reveals a significant poverty/environment nexus that affects mainly older, less-educated women in the Indian Sundarban who engage in prawn post-larvae (PL) collection. * Previous research paid little attention to women who work year-round in this occupation, despite the health risks from long-term saline immersion and the physical risk of crocodile attacks. * Women engaged in this activity report more health problems compared to their counterparts who engage in otherwise comparable low-wage economic activities, such as fishing and agriculture. * Appropriate policies can help by subsidizing healthier employment alternatives for poor women in this region or promoting community management and financing of prawn PL collection. * Educational progress will reduce the number of women who engage in prawn PL collection in the coming years. 1. Introduction The Sundarban coastal region of India's West Bengal state is the spawning ground for 90% of the aquatic taxa of India's northeastern coast, including 172 fish species, 20 prawn species and 44 crab species (Chandra & Sagar, 2003) (Note 1). The area is also home to some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. Poor women are often seen wading waist-deep for hours in the salty tidal rivers and creeks, dragging triangular nets that collect the seedlings of wild tiger prawn (Penacus monodon) or prawn post-larvae (PL) (Figure 1). The yield from this activity (Figure 2) is sold to aquaculture farms. It varies by season and lunar cycle; a good day's catch may earn 300-500 Indian rupees (US$ 4-7). Demand and prices were higher in the 1990s, and the market has since shifted toward Venami, an imported species whose seedlings are supplied by hatcheries. At the same time, increased rural wages have diverted male workers to other occupations, leaving prawn PL collection to women whose job opportunities are more restricted. Although engagement in prawn PL catching has declined since the 1990s, this occupation still employs at least 100,000 women in the Indian Sundarban. The seedling population 1

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