Honey Harvesting in the Indian Sundarban Mangrove Forest

Abstract

Sundarban mangrove forest is famous for wild honey production. Honey collectors of Indian Sundarban resort to harvesting of honey for four months from April to July, though official permits are issued usually for the months of April and May. During the course of survey since 2010 one of us (SKP) observed that honey harvesters of Sundarban are poor people living in the fringe areas of Sundarban mangrove forests, mainly belonging to Gosaba, Basanti, Kultali, Sandeshkhali, Hingalgunj and Hasnabad Development Blocks of South and North 24 Parganas districts, West Bengal. Harvesting of wild honey from Sundarban forests is not open access.