Fisheries Regulations relating to small meshed nets operation in Lagoons of Sri Lanka

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The Fishing Operations Regulations of 1996[1]  explain the fishing activities that can operate in the country.  Section three (3) of the regulation stated that

     “No person shall engage in, or cause any other person to engage in, any fishing operation specified in Part I of the Schedule 'here to, in the sea, estuaries or coastal lagoons of Sri Lanka except under the authority of a license issued under these regulations and otherwise than in accordance with the terms and conditions attached to such license”.

 Section   10 of the part 1 (SHEDULE) of the regulation shows that the “operations carried out by Stake Net (Kattu Del)  ("Stake Net" (Kattu Del) means a net consisting of a conical or cylindrical trap with or without a frame and with a device which draws the fish into the net) can be operated with the license given by department of fisheries.  Therefore it is clear that the Stake net is legally accepted fishing techniques that can function in the lagoon.

However, the Inland Fisheries Management Regulations[2] , shows the size of fishing gears that can be used in the inland waters. According to the section four (4) of the regulation says that  “a license shall not be issued under these regulations for the following types of fishing gear or boats:- (i) Any net of mesh size 85 mm or below; These regulations shall apply to and in relation to all parts of inland waters of Sri Lanka. 

According to the given definition of   "Inland Waters" means any public river, lake, estuary, lagoon, and stream, tank, pond, channel and any other public area of fresh or brackish water in Sri Lanka.

 The stake nets and fyke nets that operating in the lagoons are less than 85 mm. Therefore, the nets which are operated less than 85mm meshed can be identified as illegal fishing gears according to the Inland fisheries management regulations.


By A. Sampath M :  

[1] http://extwprlegs1.fao.org/docs/pdf/srl7962.pdf

[2] The Inland Fisheries Management Regulations of 1996 Gazette Extraordinary No. 948/25 and dated 1996.11.07

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