606
However, the Sone Beel Fishermens’ Co-operative
Society (SBFCS) is, perhaps, one of the biggest of
its kind in this region but not very active and progressive, although it ought to have been (Kar 2003 ).
An account of the fi shermen of Sone Beel (the
biggest wetland in Assam), as a typical example
from wetland in Asia, is given below.
28.3.1 Abounding Fishermen
of the Beel
Fishermen belonging to 4 principal communities
have been recorded in the 39 villages around
Sone Beel (Kar 1990 ). They are the ‘Kaibarta’,
the ‘Patni’, the ‘Maimal’ and the ‘Namasudra’.
Certain relevant information pertaining to relative
composition of each community with respect to
both fi shermen as well as total population living
in the villages around the Beel, as well as, annual
average area exploited by individual fi sherman of
each community are tabulated below:
Fishermen
community
Relative abundance
(%) out of
Fishing area
Total
fi shermen
Total
inhabitants
(ha/fi sherman)
Kaibarta
68.14
47.67
0.32
Patni
14.66
10.24
1.51
Maimal
12.29
8.59
1.81
Namasudra 4.91
3.43
4.53
30.07
(Non-fi shermen)
Moreover, on the basis of fi shing intensity, the
fi sherfolk of Sone Beel have been further classifi ed, after FAO ( 1962 ), into three categories,
namely, professional, part-time and occasional,
an account of which, with relevant information
(Kar 1990 ), is tabulated below:
Fisherman
category
Relative abundance (%) among
Total
Kaibarta Patni Maimal Namasudra
Professional 55.04
6.91 5.54
2.51
70.00
Part-time
8.00
3.00 2.60
1.40
15.00
Occasional 4.50
4.75 4.75
1.00
15.00
Total
67.54
14.66 12.89
4.91
100.00
A brief description of the three categories of
fi shermen, as mentioned above, is given below.
28.3.2 Occasional Fishermen
They take recourse to fi shing only when an occasion arises or when the situation compels. Such
category of fi shermen is prevalent in Sone Beel
generally during the dry days when the fi shing
sites are easily accessible on foot. The relative
ease of access coupled with certain amount of
free time between sowing and harvesting of the
Beel crops (notably paddy) makes this type of
fi shing attractive and often sportive to the group.
This category of fi shermen constitutes c 15 % of
the fi shermen population of the Beel. Both affl uent and poor section of the fi shermen belong to
this category: Those compelled to this profession
are the poor, while those adopt it as a sport are the
rich. Certain deeper portions of the Beel, locally
called ‘Kuri’, are found to be traditionally or
occasionally reserved for them. These are seen to
be fi shed during certain festivals or feasts commensurating with a holiday where a large section
of the society generally participate. Most of the
fi shes caught in such operations usually go
directly into their diet. The individual time spent
is short, and the gears used are usually simple and
less effi cacious. As the number of participants is
large, it is diffi cult to assess the contribution of
individual efforts to total catch. Migratory habit is
not generally seen in this category of fi shermen.
28.3.3 Part-Time Fishermen
This non-nomadic group of fi shermen constitute
c 15 % of the fi sherfolk population of Sone Beel.
They fi sh only during part of a year and consider
this activity as equal to or inferior to other activities of the group. The fl ood cycle, the biological
cycle of fi sh (Welcomme 1979 ) and the seasonal
needs of agriculture seem to impose a cyclicity
on such communities. As such, reservation of
fi shing sites is not practised by this group. Rather,
they generally prefer cultivation to fi shing in
shallow water. Although their interest lies in
hauling the large growing fi shes, the yield status
is usually poor because of the lack of adequate
knowledge of the distribution of fi sh species in
the Beel. Nevertheless, the part-time fi shermen
28 Fishermen in Wetlands
However, the Sone Beel Fishermens’ Co-operative
Society (SBFCS) is, perhaps, one of the biggest of
its kind in this region but not very active and progressive, although it ought to have been (Kar 2003 ).
An account of the fi shermen of Sone Beel (the
biggest wetland in Assam), as a typical example
from wetland in Asia, is given below.
28.3.1 Abounding Fishermen
of the Beel
Fishermen belonging to 4 principal communities
have been recorded in the 39 villages around
Sone Beel (Kar 1990 ). They are the ‘Kaibarta’,
the ‘Patni’, the ‘Maimal’ and the ‘Namasudra’.
Certain relevant information pertaining to relative
composition of each community with respect to
both fi shermen as well as total population living
in the villages around the Beel, as well as, annual
average area exploited by individual fi sherman of
each community are tabulated below:
Fishermen
community
Relative abundance
(%) out of
Fishing area
Total
fi shermen
Total
inhabitants
(ha/fi sherman)
Kaibarta
68.14
47.67
0.32
Patni
14.66
10.24
1.51
Maimal
12.29
8.59
1.81
Namasudra 4.91
3.43
4.53
30.07
(Non-fi shermen)
Moreover, on the basis of fi shing intensity, the
fi sherfolk of Sone Beel have been further classifi ed, after FAO ( 1962 ), into three categories,
namely, professional, part-time and occasional,
an account of which, with relevant information
(Kar 1990 ), is tabulated below:
Fisherman
category
Relative abundance (%) among
Total
Kaibarta Patni Maimal Namasudra
Professional 55.04
6.91 5.54
2.51
70.00
Part-time
8.00
3.00 2.60
1.40
15.00
Occasional 4.50
4.75 4.75
1.00
15.00
Total
67.54
14.66 12.89
4.91
100.00
A brief description of the three categories of
fi shermen, as mentioned above, is given below.
28.3.2 Occasional Fishermen
They take recourse to fi shing only when an occasion arises or when the situation compels. Such
category of fi shermen is prevalent in Sone Beel
generally during the dry days when the fi shing
sites are easily accessible on foot. The relative
ease of access coupled with certain amount of
free time between sowing and harvesting of the
Beel crops (notably paddy) makes this type of
fi shing attractive and often sportive to the group.
This category of fi shermen constitutes c 15 % of
the fi shermen population of the Beel. Both affl uent and poor section of the fi shermen belong to
this category: Those compelled to this profession
are the poor, while those adopt it as a sport are the
rich. Certain deeper portions of the Beel, locally
called ‘Kuri’, are found to be traditionally or
occasionally reserved for them. These are seen to
be fi shed during certain festivals or feasts commensurating with a holiday where a large section
of the society generally participate. Most of the
fi shes caught in such operations usually go
directly into their diet. The individual time spent
is short, and the gears used are usually simple and
less effi cacious. As the number of participants is
large, it is diffi cult to assess the contribution of
individual efforts to total catch. Migratory habit is
not generally seen in this category of fi shermen.
28.3.3 Part-Time Fishermen
This non-nomadic group of fi shermen constitute
c 15 % of the fi sherfolk population of Sone Beel.
They fi sh only during part of a year and consider
this activity as equal to or inferior to other activities of the group. The fl ood cycle, the biological
cycle of fi sh (Welcomme 1979 ) and the seasonal
needs of agriculture seem to impose a cyclicity
on such communities. As such, reservation of
fi shing sites is not practised by this group. Rather,
they generally prefer cultivation to fi shing in
shallow water. Although their interest lies in
hauling the large growing fi shes, the yield status
is usually poor because of the lack of adequate
knowledge of the distribution of fi sh species in
the Beel. Nevertheless, the part-time fi shermen
28 Fishermen in Wetlands