Importance of Indigenous Small Fish to Boost Livelihood and Nutritional Security: Evidences from Indian Sunderbans

A wide array of native small fish species are found in Sunderbans and these indigenous fish possess significant potential to address the “hidden hunger” issues of the local rural communities. Hunger and malnutrition are critical challenges in Indian Sunderbans, and leveraging these small fishes could make a substantial difference. Beyond addressing malnutrition, these small fishes could positively impact income generation, up-scale socio-economic profiles, and empower women in the region. In this chapter, the authors have tried to comprehend some shreds of evidence on the actual impact of small fishes on livelihood and nutritional security, the importance of small fishes for women’s empowerment, culture, and conservation of small fishes and to identify the challenges in this process. Despite encountering difficulties, small fishes could be a promising factor in Sunderbans for improving the health and socio-economic standard of the rural populace of Sunderbans.