Abstract
Studies in mangrove ecosystem are often focused on biological or ecological criteria and interdependency between mangroves and people is normally neglected. The situation is similar in Tamil Nadu; India which has a coastline of about 950 km. One of the major mangrove forests in Tamil Nadu is situated in Pichavaram, Cuddalore district. The present study was carried out in the seventeen hamlets, which are directly or indirectly dependent on the Pichavaram mangrove wetlands for their livelihood and survival. These seventeen hamlets consist of over 2600 households many of whom derive their principal income from fishing and related activities. Individual surveys were carried out for 10% of the households in each of the selected hamlets. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for surveys to study the attitude and perception of the community on the conservation and importance of mangrove wetlands and resources. The study was conducted to assess the awareness, attitudes and views of people dependent on the mangrove ecosystem towards conservation issues and development options. It was observed that a large percentage of the sampled population showed a positive inclination towards conservation of the ecosystem and were well aware of their responsibility towards it.
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