The Challenges Faced by Sri Lankan Fishermen: Increasing Expenses and Declining Quality of the fishing Gears

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 Aruna Sampath M

The fishing industry is a significant contributor to the livelihood of Sri Lanka, a developing country with a per capita income of less than USD 4,000 (Sri Lanka Economy Snapshot | Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2024.). Small-scale fishermen who primarily depend on coastal fisheries for their livelihoods make up more than 80% of Sri Lanka's fishing

 population(Fisheries_Statistics_-2023_final_2024.10.02_compressed.Pdf, 2023.). However, the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation's economic crisis, which caused it to go bankrupt (Central Bank declared the country's financial bankruptcy on 12.04.2022) , have left Sri Lankan fishermen with a number of difficulties, chief among them being the sharp rise in fuel prices. Both high-sea, multiday fishermen and small-scale coastal fishermen have been negatively affected by these problems. These issues are made worse by the rising prices and deteriorating quality of fishing gear, which endangers the ecosystem and their financial viability.

Effects of Increasing Fuel Prices

Following the COVID-19 outbreak and the nation's financial collapse, fuel prices in Sri Lanka have skyrocketed. Fuel is one of the biggest operating expenses for fishermen, so this has had a devastating impact on the fishing industry. Small boats with outboard engine which usually have 15, 25, or 40 horsepower are crucial to Sri Lanka's coastal fishing industry. Kerosene is the fuel used  for these engines. Coastal fishermen have relied on the comparatively cheaper price of kerosene for decades in order to afford their daily fishing excursions. But the sharp increase in kerosene costs in recent years has severely damaged their operations, making it harder and harder for small-scale fishermen to make a living.

Source https: Ceylon Petroleum Corporation //ceypetco.gov.lk/historical-prices/

The sustainability of fish populations and marine ecosystems is under risk due to overfishing in some regions brought on by the move towards more concentrated coastal fishing brought on by rising fuel prices. This puts Sri Lanka's marine resources' long-term health under danger in addition to the immediate livelihoods of fishermen.

Increasing Prices and Reductions in Fishing Gear Quality

Although fuel prices have garnered a lot of attention, the sharp rise in the price of fishing gear and the degradation of the materials used are equally concerning issues. Local fishermen claim that fishing net prices have more than doubled in the last several years. At the same time, these nets' durability has drastically declined. Fishermen claim that because modern nets are made of inferior, weaker thread that breaks readily, they have a much shorter lifespan. The fishermen stated that nets used to last four to five years with regular maintenance, but now they only last a year before needing to be replaced. This is especially true with 2- 4 fly fishing nets, which are the most common nets used in coastal fishing.

Small-scale fishermen in Sri Lanka, a nation with a multi-species fishery, need different kinds of nets for different fish species, which makes things even more expensive. Fishermen are now compelled to purchase several nets more regularly due to the requirement for a wide array of nets and their shortened lifespan. In addition to depleting their resources, this puts more strain on the ecosystem because abandoned and damaged nets add to marine pollution.

Poor-quality nets' effects on the environment

Another major worry is how low-quality nets in Sri Lanka affect the ecosystem. Damaged nets that have been thrown away after a brief period of usage are scattered over the shorelines at numerous fish landing places. Marine life is still at risk from these abandoned nets, sometimes referred to as ghost nets. They can harm coral reefs and entangle fish, turtles, and other marine life. For Sri Lanka's coastal ecosystems, the buildup of these abandoned nets is turning into a serious environmental problem(The Impact of Ghost Nets on Ocean Wildlife, n.d.). However, guidelines for net quality and recycling, which have been developed (Fishing Gear Recycling Technologies and Practices, 2023), and implemented in some countries, are still not practiced in Sri Lanka.  Similar measures could be implemented in Sri Lanka to enhance the sustainability of the fishing industry and drastically lessen the detrimental effects of fishing gear on the ecosystem.

Absence of Quality Control and Regulation

Fishermen have brought attention to the government's lack of control over the cost and calibre of fishing gear in Sri Lanka. Fishing net prices vary widely between stores and regions mainly because there is no standard pricing or labelling system. Furthermore, neither domestically made nor imported fishing gear is subject to any quality control measures enforced by the government. To guarantee reasonable prices and constant quality, fishermen have frequently demanded government action.

Demands Government Intervention

Fishermen from Sri Lanka have complained about these problems on multiple occasions to fisheries offices and other appropriate authorities, but not much has been done to allay their worries. Fishermen are calling on the government to enact stricter regulations to relieve the financial and environmental strains on the fishing industry. In particular, they are requesting that the government implement uniform pricing procedures to stop exploitation and enforce appropriate testing and certification in order to guarantee the quality of fishing gear.

Damaged fishing nets at the landing sites (Kalpitiya). 

  



Reference

Fisheries_Statistics_-2023_final_2024.10.02_compressed.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved 18 October 2024, from https://www.fisheries.gov.lk/web/images/downloads/pdfs/2024/Fisheries_Statistics_-2023_final_2024.10.02_compressed.pdf

Fishing gear recycling technologies and practices. (2023). FAO; International Maritime Organization (IMO); https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8317en

Sri Lanka Economy Snapshot | Central Bank of Sri Lanka. (n.d.). Retrieved 18 October 2024, from https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/sri-lanka-economy-snapshot

The impact of ghost nets on ocean wildlife. (n.d.). Australian Marine Conservation Society. Retrieved 18 October 2024, from https://www.marineconservation.org.au/the-impact-of-ghost-nets-on-ocean-wildlife/


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