An assessment of the socio-economic status of the fishermen along the Lendi River in Latur and Nanded district of Maharashtra, India

Abstract

A study was carried out to assess the socio-economic status of fishermen involved in fishing activities within the Lendi River located in the districts of Latur and Nanded in the state of Maharashtra. A comprehensive survey was conducted, consisting of interviews with a total of 76 fishermen, to collect pertinent data and information. It was found that all fishermen who were engaged in fishing in Lendi River were male, the majority were Hindus, 59.21% had joint families andthe majority of fishermen (48.68%) belonged to the middle age group 31-50 years. Moreover, 40.79% of fishermen were educated up to the primary level while 25.00% were illiterate.Most fishermen (51.32%)had an annual income in the range of Rs. 1.5 to 2 lakhs. The use of gill nets is common among fishermen, but a subset of fishermen employs cast net as their preferred fishing method. The findings of this research indicate that the socio-economic status of fishermen in the designated study region is undesirable. It is imperative that governmental entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other pertinent stakeholders undertake requisite measures for improving the socio-economic standing.