Fresh catch may bring new life to former conflict zone

Every day, more than 100 fishing boats launch into the waters off Panichchankerni in eastern Batticaloa District - four times the number when fighting re-erupted four years ago. Security restrictions meant boats could only go out at certain times, but these rules have been relaxed since the end of the war in May 2009.



"We go out daily now," said Dominic Silva, a fisherman whose family has been involved in the  local fishing industry for 75 years. "There is no restriction on fishing hours. We can now calculate when the best catches will be and we go out."



The revival bodes well for the local economy, which relied on fishing and agriculture for 50 percent of its revenue before the 26-year conflict.



"Small-scale fishing is the lifeline of fisher families along the coast of the north and the east. Due to severe security restrictions during the civil war such small-scale fishing was almost all for meeting people's basic needs or for survival," said Muthukrishna Sarvananthan, principal researcher at the Point Pedro Institute of Development.



"In the past year after the war, fishing has gradually experienced considerable commercialization."



On a good day, fishermen can earn as much as US$185, though the average daily income is about $10-$30. The booming industry has also provided an income stream for at least 500 villagers as boat hands and in other odd jobs.



 However, in other areas, the picture is gloomier. "I visited Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu [in the north] one month ago. At that time, people were suffering from a lack of fishing equipment. Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu still haven't come back to normal," said Maheeni Samarkoon, national fisheries coordinator with the Sewa Lanka Foundation.



Sarvananthan cautioned against being too optimistic about the revival of small-time fishing. Its impact is unlikely to last long unless there is significant development and diversification in the sector, he said.



"Small-scale fishing activity has a short shelf-life in the northeast. In the medium and long term it has to either upgrade into large-scale deep-sea fishing or diversify into other sectors," he said.



Samarkoon noted that while coastal fishing has revived in the east, more technical knowledge and input are needed to bring back deep-sea fishing. Furthermore, she added, "in the east of the country, there is vast potential for aquaculture development activities".



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