Folgen einer exportorientierten Wirtschaftspolitik. Eine Fallstudie über die Garnelenzucht in der Chilika-Lagune in Orissa, Indien

Abstract Chilika is one of the world's important wetlands (RAMSAR-convention) and provides a livelihood for 100.000 families, who live around the lagoon. A few years ago fishing at Chilika was marked by production for local consumption and for the Indian market. The Pink-Gold-Rush has changed the situation. Export-orientation is a part of the Indian government strategy for globalisation. Private businessmen have begun to occupy illegally the fishing ground of the local fishermen in order to build prawnaquacultures. In 1991 the government of Orissa changed this illegal situation into a legal one by setting up a new lease policy. Now the so-called nonfishermen can lease fishing ground, which traditionally belongs to the local community. This has led to a weakening of the local fishing people and they have lost their source of livelihood. The change in the outer political framework has led to a worsening of the situation at Chilika, and to the transformation of a lifeform which was traditionally hi harmony with the ecosystem. The Chilika ecosystem is highly productive and with the help of good resource management, the local community could live almost self-sufficiently. But the local self-sufficiency is determined at the political level and can thus be destroyed or promoted.