Reconciling culture, livelihood and conservation through community fishing in Assam

Abstract

Community fishing has significant cultural, livelihood and environmental implications for traditional communities in Northeast India with the Rabha community considering it as an activity that fosters camaraderie, togetherness and cultural ties among communities. The Rabha community’s fishing practice, known as Bahow, takes place at the Barjong beel in March, attracting thousands of people from different communities, where women constitute up to 60 percent of participants. While indigenous small fish species (SIS) are regarded as superfoods due to their high micronutrient content, which is essential for cognitive development and human health, SIS diversity is declining in parts of Assam, increasing their cost thus, making it less accessible to locals.