The Role of Values and Beliefs in Small-scale Fishery and Dried Fish Production: An Exploration of Social Well-being in Fishing Communities of Sagar Island (Indian Sundarbans) by Sevil Berenji A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Environmental Studies in Sustainability Management Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2020 © Sevil Berenji 2020 i Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is the true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that the thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract This research highlights the diverse values and beliefs associated with small-scale fisheries and dried fish productions and their role in strengthening social wellbeing of fishing communities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), small-scale fisheries are “firmly rooted in local communities, traditions and values”. The strength in these local level values and beliefs determines the resilience of the fisheries system. However, several small- scale fisheries around the world are experiencing severe erosion in their long-held values and beliefs due to the adverse impacts from multiple drivers, e.g., globalization, commercialization, privatization, policy changes and climate change. In addition to the resulting vulnerabilities, this has led to systematic marginalization of these fishing communities who find it difficult to respond due to the weakening of their traditional values and beliefs as a source of strength and action. On this backdrop, this research presents an empirical investigation of the role of values and beliefs in small-scale fishery (SSF) and dried fish (DF) production by exploring their connections to the social wellbeing of fishing communities. The purpose of this research is to examine the connections between ‘values and beliefs’ and ‘social wellbeing’ in fishing communities, with specific attention to the multiple drivers of change influencing those values and beliefs. Three specific objectives guide this research: (1) To identify the diverse values and beliefs and their meanings that are hidden in the SSF and DF production community groups; (2) To define the key drivers of values and beliefs and how they have affected the values and beliefs of the SSF and DF production community groups; and (3) To examine how the values and beliefs of the SSF and DF production community groups are connected to their social wellbeing (i.e., material, subjective, and relational wellbeing). The study was conducted in the fishing communities of Sagar Island, which is situated on the south-west edge of the Sundarbans region, India. The study used a largely qualitative and inductive methodology that combined secondary literature review with primary data collected through participant observations, semi-structured interviews (n=45), focus group discussions (n=33 people / 2 FGDs), and household surveys (n=45). Major findings from this research indicate that, first, a growing number of life loss and economic loss experienced by community members dealing with small-scale fishery and dried fish production of Sagar Island have made them realize the need for ecosystem conservation. This iii realization is stronger among those who are under the direct influence of ecosystem changes. The fishing community also acknowledged that failure in accepting and treating the extended primary group (outsiders) properly would lead to life-threatening conflicts (e.g., social disorder) and would erode the values related to social relationships (e.g., peacefulness, benevolence) eventually. It is this realization, in the backdrop of current economic uncertainties faced by SSF and DF production, have led its members to subordinate the potential religious or caste discriminations and built upon positives such as strong union and solidarity within community members. Second, the diverse challenges that existed in the Island (e.g., the vicious cycle of indebtedness to local moneylenders, depletion of fish stock after the emergence of fishing trawlers etc.) are forcing community members towards more of temporary migration in search of a more reliable livelihood option. This process weakens the traditional notion of local ‘fishing community’ and ‘fisher family’, erode values related to the place (e.g., attachment to place), and could gradually lead to complete human-environment disconnection in further stages. Third, for the majority of fishery households, the relationship between economy-related values (e.g., wealth) and social wellbeing is very strong as the majority of the time, they stay trapped in poverty. Furthermore, relationships among fishing members also influence access to material, and non-material benefits people derive from each other. Ultimately, the results of this thesis indicated that the values and beliefs of a fishing community could provide valuable insights to achieve improved management of fisheries’ resources. It can also help identify the present threat to small scale fisheries and dried fish production, and in turn will bolster the community’s social wellbeing and their positive response to social-ecological changes. Key Words: Values, Beliefs, Small-scale Fishery, Dried Fish Production, Social Wellbeing, Social-ecological Regime Shifts, Drivers, Fishing Community, Sagar Island, Indian Sundarbans iv Acknowledgements In the world of academics and research, a Master’s dissertation is a small thing; my Master’s dissertation is particularly small. I may even venture to remind readers that it satisfies the requirements for the degree in that it is based on a study of primary sources, and incorporates original interpretation and analysis. It gives me profound pleasure to acknowledge and thank several individuals and institutions which helped me in one or the other way in the course of completing the present study. The debts that I owe them are countless. First and foremost, I owe a deep sense of gratitude to my supervisor, Professor Prateep Kumar Nayak, for his consistent inspiration and motivation. I thank him first for showing concerns about my safety and health even when I was away from Canada. Even in the uncertain times of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he checked on both my work and on other issues. If not for his consistent and prompt support, submitting this thesis on schedule in such uncertain times would not have been possible. I was especially lucky in finding him less as a guide and more as a mentor. His scholarly guidance and priceless suggestions have been instrumental in helping me identify sources and objectives, and in developing arguments. I also owe my gratitude to my committee member, Professor Derek Armitage, for always being supportive and acting professionally. I am honored to work with him and to have his wonderful comments and reviews. My sincere thanks are also due to the members of the Environmental Change & Governance Group (ECGG), University of Waterloo. Thank you for your endless support, presentation run-throughs, and coffee dates. I am also thankful to Dragana Kostic for her amiable behavior and official help throughout the course. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the fishing Community of Sagar Island (especially the fishers and dried fish producers of Gangasagar, Mahisamari, Dhablat, Beguakhali, and Mayagoalinighat) who not only dedicated their time during my field visits and data collection but also invited me to their homes and offered delicious Chai and fish meals. I am also thankful to Fishermen Association of Sagar Island including its Secretary, Abdar Mallik, who helped me in finding suitable informants and took care of Archi (my translator) and me during our stay in the island. I am also thankful to Monoranjan Patro, who accompanied us during some of our field visits. Both of them shared critical insights about the fishery management v system of West Bengal state and Sundarban region. A note of thanks also to Sasanka Dev for connecting me to the Fishermen Association and ensuring safe transit from Kolkata to the island and also for taking care of our accommodations there. Further, a special note of acknowledgement to Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT KGP) for warmly welcoming me as its visiting student. I still miss its streets, green environment and the bicycles rides to open-air of Nalanda rice fields, spending time in its Tech Market, drinking Chai with Barfi alongside my friends. I am hugely thankful to Professor Priyadarshi Patnaik for his share of academic and logistical support, especially in letting his postdoctoral researcher, Archi, to accompany me less as a translator and more as a guide-come-friend. He was also kind enough to permit me to work in Science of Happiness lab. I am also thankful to Professor Jenia Mukherjee for making it possible to get benefit from Mitacs by agreeing to be my host supervisor. One of the main reasons for making my three months stay a safe and memorable one in IIT KGP was its first-class guest house facility; all thanks to Professor Bhim Charan Meikap (Prof-in-Charge of IIT KGP Guest House) and Vinode Kumar Sharma (Secretary of IIT KGP Guest House). The present research is incomplete without mentioning two of the most important contributors to the present study, Archi Banerjee and Ankur Shukla. These two people were my angels, and indeed God has sent them from heaven. Not all angels have wings! Archi Banerjee for all the guidance during my field visit to Sagar Island and also for all the necessary assistance related to the translation part. It is for her company that not for one moment I felt alien to the local society and environment, including bonus sessions of her Bengali poems, especially the ones from Rabindranath Tagore. She also sang with her soulful voice some of the famous Bengali songs for fishing members, which eventually turned out to be huge icebreakers in terms of getting positive responses from the local community.