In the context of high fishing pressure, anthropogenic forces causing resource degradation and depletion, pervasive use of environmentally unfriendly fishing techniques, climate change impacts such as coastal erosion, rising sea levels, multi-stakeholder issues along the coastal belt, unregulated international trade in fish and fish products, unwarranted focus on deep sea fisheries etc., the academics, researchers, the state actors, civil society organisations and community based organisations joined hands on February 14, 2018 to form the Small Scale Fisheries Forum of Sri Lanka (SSFFSL), which is an interactive platform, where all relevant stakeholders will deliberate upon their knowledge, experience and views in resolving issues constraining the sustainable development of Small Scale Fisheries and to propose new avenues of progress and development.
Background
It is now well understood that small-scale fisheries (SSF) make an important contribution to nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation. However, there are number of issues constraining the sustainable development of this subsector, which need to be properly identified, understood and treated.
Given that small scale fisheries are characterized by fishers operating smaller crafts, fishing in shallower waters, targeting local and domestic markets and home consumption, 93 percent of Sri Lanka’s 59,000 fishing fleet is engaged in small scale fishing, accounting for 63 percent of the total fish production of the country. The marine fishing population consists of 190,000 households and 221,000 active fishers spread out along the coastline, while another 48,900 fishing households and 54,450 active fishers are engaged in lagoons and inland water bodies. The total fisheries dependent population has been estimated as 2.7 million. Arguably, all of these fishers and people involved in processing and marketing are engaged in the small-scale sector. Small-scale fishers in Sri Lanka are of many kinds. While some are beach-based, others use a variety of crafts orus (outrigger canoes), kattamarams, theppamsor fibre-glass boats to ply nearshore, offshore, lagoon or inland fishing grounds. Gears include a broad selection of gillnets, cast nets, long lines, fixed nets and traps. While men generally dominate the harvesting process, women play an important part in processing, marketing and in support activities.
In Sri Lanka, as well as globally, small-scale fisheries are threatened more by anthropogenic pressures coming from both inside and outside the communities, and less by natural factors. High rates of resource exploitation, unregulated technological change, increasing fishing pressure, etc. are causing threats to aquatic ecosystems, leading to resource degradation. It is known that although blue revolution resulted in significant increases in fish catches, it has also resulted in increasing fishing pressure on resources and signs of degradation of resources are quite evident, which compelled the state, as the custodian of the resources, to intervene in protecting the resources from further degradation. However, while state laws deal fairly effectively with the resource crisis, their focus on fisher wellbeing is weak. For fishers who are confronted with declining catches, vulnerability, poverty, and having limited access to livelihood capitals, one option is to use heavy rates of resource exploitation to meet the needs of their families. This is quite understandable, given that poor people use high rates in discounting future gains.
While fisheries cooperatives have played a very important role in the past as a kind of state-community partnerships, providing fishers with livelihood capitals and helping them to cope with vulnerability, many of them collapsed when various governments tried to introduce alternative structures to meet their short term political goals. Today voicing’ SSF issues on one hand and reaching the target groups on the other, are problematic, due to the existence of parallel community organisations.
There are also voids in fisheries research, which is biased towards ecosystem’ research rather than research on the human system; the fishing communities. Very little is heard of the issues facing small scale fisheries, although these are of tremendous importance. What we have learnt from research is pre-dominantly scientific; fisheries biology, oceanography, fish diseases, aquaculture, fish population dynamics, etc. with very little focus on small-scale fisheries, especially on small scale fishing communities who are confronted with an array of issues, such as lack of rights, their non-inclusiveness in fisheries decision making, lack of voice, declining catches, declining livelihoods and wellbeing.
On top of the above, climate change is now entering the SSF development equation as an important variable. These impacts are mostly felt in coastal areas, which are to a great extent, inhabited by fishing populations. Sea level rise has caused loss of landing centers, beach seining sites, fish drying sites, displacement of fishing populations, etc. Food chain in marine habitats has been affected with declines in certain species, which has affected fishing landings, production and fishing incomes. Ocean acidification has probably caused disappearance of shell fish such as mussels and lobsters to a certain extent. Lagoon ecosystems are also been affected by sea water intrusion causing a decline in productivity. Wetlands form another resource highly vulnerable to climate change, with loss of habitats, reduced bio-diversity and reduced ecosystem services. Again, climate change research too is science-biased; sea level rise, increasing temperatures, impacts on mangroves and biodiversity, etc., with little focus on the impact of climate change on the social system; the various strategies adopted by people to cope with climate change and the impact of such strategies on their wellbeing. Among many populations, those living in coastal areas confront the highest climate change risks which have very serious implications on the wellbeing of fishing communities who form the most important coastal stakeholder group.
On another front, small-scale fisheries deserve attention due to the opportunities they provide in addressing important societal concerns that exist beyond the sector, such as providing safe and nutritious food and employment. Small scale fisheries is not just catching fish and selling them. SSF is deep rooted in communities, in their cultural heritage, values, etc. making it a way of life; a particular lifestyle that provides both identity and meaning to the lives.
The Blue Print of SSFFSL
Small Scale Fisheries Forum is a platform that is inclusive (all relevant stakeholders), participatory, integrated (all sub-sectors are present) and holistic (looking at fisheries as a component of the coastal ecosystem). For the first time all relevant stakeholders, including the state actors, will sit in resolving societal issues. In fact it is an interactive governance’ platform, where governance mechanisms are established with the participation of all.
The major objectives of the Forum consist of,establishing platforms to disseminate /share information on SSF, voice the needs of the small scale fishing communities, promote joint research on SSF, to liaise with the government in an advisory capacity to promote government interventions towards sustainable development of small scale fisheries, provide policy inputs to the government, to contribute towards the development, establishment and implementation of a national fisheries policy for Sri Lanka, contribute towards incorporating recommendations of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines to relevant national legislation, policies, strategies as well as to programmes and activities of CSOs/NGOs, and, establishing links with regional and international organisations who are working towards Sustainable SSF.
Future Course of Action
The SSFFSL has two types of goals; Short Term and Long Term.
One of the immediate short term goals is to ensure the implementation of the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for food security and poverty alleviation in Small-Scale Fisheries. These Guidelines, which were developed through a global consultation process by the FAO, capture the inherent features of small scale fisheries by addressing the most compelling issues in SSF, especially, the need to recognize the rights of fishing people and to make the process of fisheries management participatory, inclusive, integrated and holistic with special concern on women and marginalized populations. All efforts made towards sustainable small scale fisheries, especially the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and SSF guidelines, would be futile unless they are incorporated into the policy making and planning process.
This does not take place automatically. Moreover, they are not blanket recommendations, but guidelines, need to be adopted and/or incorporated into national plans of action depending on specific contexts of countries. Since challenges that SL are facing are also identifiable throughout South Asia and the world, lessons learnt in SL would also provide lessons that go beyond SL, while at the same time SL can benefit from learning about how these challenges are dealt with elsewhere. This requires extending our tentacles beyond national boundaries to establish links with regional and international organisations working for SSF. This is also one key objectives of the SSFFSL.
The second short term goal is to assist the government in preparing the National Fisheries Policy. Even by now the first draft of the policy has been prepared by the government and the SSFFSL is planning to give its fullest assistance in improving the draft policy.
Of the longer term goals, voicing the SSF issues’ takes priority. In fact this will be a continuous process where SSFFSL will be serving as a mediator/ facilitator in voicing the SSF issues and resolving them, through an interactive process. SSFFSL invites all engaged in SSF to bring their issues to the notice of the SSFFSL (email: ssffsrilanka@gmail.com), which will be discussed by the Executive Committee of the SSFFSL for their relevance to SSF development, and suitable action taken.
Another important long term goal would be to establish links with regional and international organisations, which will include (but not limited to), Food and Agriculture Organisation of UN (FAO), International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) and Too Big To Ignore’ (TBTI). The SSFFSL also wishes to organise a Biennial International Small Scale fisheries Congress, as a means of sharing and disseminating information on SSF.
The Office Bearers of the SSFFSL for 2018-2019 are, as follows.
*Advisors
Prof. Maarten Bavinck (University of Amsterdam / ICSF), Netherlands
Prof. Sena De Silva, Deakin University / Australia
Prof. Svein Jentoft (University of Tromso, (TBTI), Norway)
President: -Oscar Amarasinghe , Professor, formerly UR
Joint Secretaries (2): -Upali S. Amarasinghe, Senior Professor/ UK
-E.I.L. Silva, Professor / WRST
Vice Presidents (2): -Herman Kumara, / Convener, NAFSO
-Jayantha Wijeyaratne, Senior Professor/ UK
Treasurer: -Ruchira Cumaranatunga, Senior Professor/UR
Assistant Treasurer: – -Achini De Silva, Professor / US
Convener: -Dilanthi Koralagama, Senior Lecturer/ UR
General Committee
-Dr. Ahilan Kadirgamar (Social Scientist)
-Dr. Anil Premaratne, Former Director General CCD
-Jayantha Chandrasoma / Former Chairman, NAQDA
-Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara, Senior Lecturer UR
-Dr. M. G. Kularatne, Senior Lecturer/ UK
-Subhashini Deepa Kamalanathan ,SVWS
-H. M. Ranjith, President, Godawaya FCS
-Upul Liyanage, Scientist/ NARA
-Loyel Peiris, Chairman / NFFU
-Dr Dileepa de Croos Senior Lecturer / UW
-Suraj Chandrakumara, Fisheries Management Assistant DFAR
(ABBREVIATIONS: UK – University of Kelaniya; US – University of Sabaragamuwa; SJP – Sri Jayawardenapura University; UR- University of Ruhuna; NAFSO – National Fisheries Solidarity; NFFU – National Fisher Folk Union; WRST – Water Resources Science and Technology; SVWS – Sri Vimukthi Womens Society; FCS – Fisheries Cooperative Society; NARA – National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency; DFAR – Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development; FRMA – Fisheries Resources Management Assistant; CCD – Coast Conservation Department; NAQDA – National Aquaculture Development Authority; TBTI – Too Big To Ignore; ICSF -International Collective in Support of Fishworkers.
The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd., 19952018