Conserving Ilish, Securing Livelihoods

BANGLADESH-INDIA PERSPECTIVES

Bushra Nishat‚ Ganesh Pangare ‚ Sushmita Mandal

The focus of Conserving Ilish, Securing Livelihoods: Bangladesh-India Perspectives is the ilish, an iconic fish which represents common cultural bonds, a shared history, a common ecosystem and close economic ties between Bangladesh and India. Thisedited volume of papers is an attempt to collate information from work in both countries that would further strengthen our understanding on the interlinkages between ilish conservation, related livelihoods, and water management issues in the Ganga- Brahmaputra-Meghna region.

Commercially the ilish (Tenualosa ilisha) is one of the most important fisheries in the Bengal delta. Despite the ilish’s importance to the economy, over five million fisherfolk who are directly or indirectly responsible for the fish to be on our plate, continue to live impoverished lives on the margins of the society. Most importantly voices of these communities are generally absent in the policy narratives for ilish management in the region. Drawing from cross learning and knowledge of Bangladeshi and Indian scholars and practitioners, this edited volume aims to provide a narrative of the efforts ongoing in both countries to reconcile ilish conservation with the fishers’ livelihood concerns.