On Wednesday, February 3, 2021, Md. Ruyel Miah successfully defended his MSc thesis on ‘Assessing important biological, economic and social sustainability aspects of Mud crab (Scylla serrata) fishery in the Sundarbans mangrove forest.’
Ruyel explored the inherent linkages between social-ecological changes and sustainable livelihoods for small-scale fishers. Drawing from Sustainable Livelihood Approach, he identified social-ecological traps caused by the failure to achieve social, economic, and biological sustainability aspects of mud crab fishery. His study illustrated how weak governing institutions, both in terms of structure and mechanisms, is one of the main reasons for the failure to reach fisheries sustainability. The study also highlighted the need for the government to pay greater attention to the issue of access for mud crab fishery and its markets for small-scale fisheries.
Ruyel has been working under the supervision of Dr. Mohammad Mahmudul Islam, a member of TBTI, and co-supervised by Mohammad Mosarof Hossain at the Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh. He is currently doing his second Master’s at the Memorial University of Newfoundland under the supervision of TBTI director Professor Dr. Ratana Chuenpagdee.
