Rivers and streams are rich fishing grounds for local populations. Forests regulate the volume and fluctuations of streamflows and provide a shaded riparian environment favourable for the development of smaller life forms which fish feed on. The mangrove swamps in southern India provide habitats for many fish species, especially shrimps. The fish catch enriches protein-deficient diets and generates household income. Economic Opportunities Cash income provides the buying power to purchase food when agriculture is not practised or when crops fail.
Forests provide a wide range of economic and employment opportunities.
Forest industries employ tens of thousands of workers, mostly in rural areas where little alternative employment is available. Non-wood forest products are important too. In the Peruvian Amazon, the potential value of harvesting fruits and latexes is estimated at six times that of timber harvesting. Through the processing, consumption and marketing of non-wood forest products, the incomes of nearly 500 million people in the developing world are supplemented. These products include rubber, fruit, nuts, raffia, resins, medicines, spices and oils, as well as the materials to make household, hunting, fishing and agricultural implements.