INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREA CO-MANAGEMENT (IPAC) - BIDS

consequence, the harvesters especially the fishermen cannot negotiate price as the fish products
are purchased by the Aratdars through Mahajans or Paikars. In fact, the bottom layer actors of
the value chains have nothing much to bargain or negotiate prices or fixing up wages at the least.
They have to sell their collected products at a price determined by the Aratdars, in most of the
cases. Our field survey shows that the collectors have to sell their collected products at a price
reduced by approximately 22.5 percent compared to the prevailing market price. Besides, the
purchasers also take additional share for the dadons apart from making pilferage in terms of
weights of quantity of the purchased products, especially aquatic products (crab, fish).
Hence, enhancing bargaining power of the harvesters is imperative.
Access to Market Information
The bottom layer actors are not much aware of the market situation. They have to depend on the
Aratdars. So, better access to the current market information has to be ensured. Barriers to entry,
poor infrastructure, inadequate communications, and high transaction and transport costs make
the markets in favor of buyers.
Form Collectors’ Organization
In order to safeguarding the rights of the collectors and capacity of the collectors to negotiate
selling prices, it is important to form collectors’ organizations, similar to that of the higher-level
intermediaries such as Aratdars.
Involvement of NGOs
The involvement of NGOs in SRF activities, particularly in remote areas (where there is no
bank), would be a step forward.
Awareness on access to loans and market information
Collectors have to be made well informed regarding opportunities. Awareness on bank loans,
market information and aspect related to SRF extractions has to be raised among the actors.
Banks, government or NGOs can design media campaign or use the benefit of mobile
technology and SMS generations.
SRF Actors Groups/Cooperatives/Associations
One way of reducing vulnerability of the lower-layer actors of value chains is to organize
Groups or Cooperatives. In effect, this is expected to also reduce exploitations. Greater returns
could also be secured for harvesters through organizing and pooling their resources 98 . This
would help create storage, post-harvest processing, and refrigeration facilities and encourage
shared transportation on a collective and cooperative basis 99 . One can mention, in this respect,
the success story of Center for Coastal and Environmental Conservation (CCEC) in organizing
the SRF harvesters (Bawalis and Mawalis) to form cooperatives for the betterment of their
members in terms of investment and profits out of their harvests. Not only these cooperatives
have proved beneficial in income generation but also contributed to their confidence building,
98 In West Bengal Sundarbans, honey is reportedly bought and marketed by FD.
99 Although our overall experience with cooperatives has not been very good, but one can also cite Milk Vitae as
an example of success based on cooperatives.
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