The award, to be given every alternate year, will go to one member of the fisherfolk community, for his/ her appreciable contribution to nature friendly fishing practices and the inter-generational continuity of his work. The award also recognises how the recipient contributed to the task of conservation in the face of odds. The award would include fisherfolk associated with wetlands as well as rivers, and serve only the state of West Bengal.
RECIPIENT OF AWARD- YEAR 2024
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF DINABANDHU MONDAL
A resident of Goyalbati village in Kheadaha II Gram Panchayat in the East Kolkata Wetlands, Dinabandhu Mondal is a third generation fish farmer whose fourth generation is also preparing to carry on the family livelihood practice of sewage-fed farming. His pond is the site for suitable new technological interventions, and he has got good results due to his diligence. His best result has been the conservation of a local variety of small prawn that naturally grows in his fish pond and he gets a good return for this. He is also an active social worker and is respected in his locality.