Fishermen in Arugam Bay marketing their catch

2003/04 was a positive year for the mangrove replanting projects in Ampara. Three mangrove nurseries were successfully set up in Palakuda, Vinayapuram, Umithi and Pottuvil Lagoons, managed and funded by local Fishermen’s Cooperative Societies. A total of 32,344 mangroves were replanted. This massive achievement was well beyond the expectation of fishermen and Sewalanka staff. The focus on mangrove reforestation led to the formation of the Palakuda Co-management Committee to address issues such as cattle grazing, which is a major cause of damage to replanted mangrove seedlings.

Also fishermen in Pottuvil Lagoon successfully took action to stop the illegal shooting of birds in Pottuvil Lagoon. The Pottuvil Lagoon Ecotour, a community-based ecotour which is run exclusively by the Hidayapuram Fishermen’s Cooperative Society conducted 96 ecotours; generating an income of Rs.105,600 for the society and its members.

It has been a mixed year for the seasonal tank aquaculture project in Hambantota, which was implemented in collaboration with the Department of Agrarian Services (DAD) and supported by the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

During the first stage of the project a total of 45,205 carp fingerlings were stocked in four seasonal tanks costing Rs.90,410; 10.5 tons of fish were harvested from the four tanks stocked and an income of Rs.486,000 was generated for the participating members of the four Farmers’ Organisations. Unfortunately Sewalanka was unable to implement the second round of stocking activities in a further eight tanks due to a shortage of carp fingerling in January 2004.

Reviewing the project’s achievements in April 2004, Sewalanka Foundation concluded that although seasonal tank aquaculture has the potential to create a new source of income for Farmer’s Organisations, the risk of failure due to technical, social and climatic factors is too great for Sewalanka Foundation to continue to encourage farmers to personally invest in this activity. This conclusion was addressed to DAD and WFP, and as a result Sewalanka has decided not to support further attempts to promote carp aquaculture in seasonal minor irrigation tanks.

>> To find out more, contact:
Dr. Steve Creech - Fisheries Advisor