Jaffna’s crippled fisheries industry strapped for cash

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 June 2003, 02:18 GMT]
Two decades ago the Jaffna district was Sri Lanka’s main fisheries producer, accounting for 37 percent of the island’s total catch. Today Jaffna’s ‘fisheries belt’ lies inside the Sri Lanka army’s largest high security zone in the northeast, its once prosperous coastal villages virtually razed to the ground.

“Colombo hasn’t given us any money so far to help the peninsula’s crippled fisheries industry," Mr. A. Joseph, the chief official of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) in Jaffna, said Thursday. Officials say it is not possible to fully revive and develop the fishing sector in most parts of Jaffna because of persisting Sri Lankan armed forces' restrictions and no go zones.

Draconian restrictions and bans imposed by Sri Lankan armed forces on fishing have driven to destitution thousands of fishing families in the north over the years.

The Northeast Provincial Council (NEPC) can do nothing to help because fisheries is a subject that is exclusively in the hands of Colombo. Provincial fisheries offices were scrapped and only the inland fisheries was left under the purview of the NEPC. But inland fisheries are totally neglected in the northeast as the NEPC gets no funds at all from Colombo for this sector of the region’s tattered economy, officials say.

“Fifteen months of peace between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers has done nought to resuscitate the peninsula’s fisheries industry," the President of the Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Societies in Jaffna, Mr. Sinnaiah Thavaratnam, told Tamilnet.

“And Colombo, as with the other sectors of the district’s economy, hasn’t provided any aid so far to even provide basic succour to breathe some life back into Jaffna’s fisheries industry," Mr. Thavaratnam said.

“Almost 65 percent of Jaffna’s monthly catch came from its northern and northwestern coast – from Thondamanar to Ponnalai – until 1983. The production in this area dwindled to nought after the Sri Lanka army and navy captured this region. Today a large part of this coast, from Thondmanar to Senthankulam is a no go zone. And restrictions such as the special security pass system are still in place, preventing the normal resettlement and village revival processes," he added.

The Sri Lanka army has banned fishing in the Jaffna lagoon along the Kilali-Kachahai coast. Sri Lankan armed forces restrictions limit fishing in other parts of the lagoon.

Officials say that in this circumstance the southern coast of Jaffna is the only area in the peninsula where fisher folk can engage in their calling freely. The region is controlled by the Liberation Tigers.

A large part of this coast, from Thalaiyadi to Vettilaikerni, was part of the sprawling Sri Lanka army base complex from 1991 to 2000.

Hundreds of fishermen’s families have been resettling in their villages here since the Liberation Tigers overran SLA garrisons in April – May 2000 and de-mined the area to make it safe for the returnees.

“We estimate that we need at least 158.307 million rupees (1.63 million USD) just to get this region’s fisheries sector back on its feet – to replace boats, engines and fishing gear lost in the war. Vadamaradchi East currently produces 83950 a day with limited resources. It can almost be doubled if the money can be found to do something about the immense damage and destruction caused by the war," said an official of the main fishermen’s co-operative society of the region in Maruthankerni.

Fishermen on this coast had two lighthouses at Vettilaikerni and Thalaiyadi to guide them at sea. Both were destroyed in the war. “The two lighthouses have to be rebuilt and at least 11 fishermen’s rests have to be put up on the beaches," the official said.

There are 225 widows of fishermen who were killed at sea by Sri Lanka Navy and in Air Force bombing raids. Colombo often claimed that these were Sea Tigers. Eighty-five fishermen who were permanently maimed in SLN attacks and SLAF bombings in the seas off Vadamaradchi East live here as dependents on their families and relatives.

“We need at least four fuel stations and three ice factories to resuscitate the fisheries industry here. But Sri Lankan government officials keep telling us there is no money even to address very basic problems faced by the industry here. We are fast losing hope that the peace would give us anything," a spokesman for the Mamunai fisheries co-op society told TamilNet.

Statistics on Jaffna fishing industry Item Maamunai Chempianpattu Thalaiyadi Maruthankerni Vathirayan No of families 108 102 98 166 210 Family members 540 510 490 825 1050 Fishing families 99 75 78 150 200 Fisher family members 450 375 390 750 1000 Number engaged in indirect fisheries activities 25 10 15 25 22 Daily fish catch (kg) 5400 5100 4950 8250 10500 Boats fishing gear destroyed in war (Rs) 10,800,000 10,200,000 9,800,000 16,507,000 21,000,000 Gear required to rejuvanate (a) 27' fishing boats 5 5 7 6 8 (b) 18' fishing boats 13 11 12 50 65 (c) Catamarans 35 28 24 75 83 (d) Nets 2250 1875 1940 3750 5600 (e) Engines and OBMs 13 11 10 50 65 Expected new Catch after rejuvanation (kg) 10800 11000 8800 16500 21000

Statistics on Jaffna fishing industry Item Uduthurai Aliyawalai Vettilaikerni Kattaikkaadu Chundikulam No of families 320 180 175 160 65 Family members 1600 900 875 800 325 Fishing families 300 170 160 150 60 Fisher family members 1450 850 800 750 300 Number engaged in indirect fisheries activities 55 32 24 42 20 Daily fish catch (kg) 16000 9000 8750 8000 8000 Boats fishing gear destroyed in war (Rs) 32,000,000 18,000,000 17,500,000 16,000,000 6,500,000 Gear required to rejuvanate (a) 27' fishing boats 12 9 7 6 3 (b) 18' fishing boats 85 78 63 55 10 (c) Catamarans 100 95 52 40 7 (d) Nets 7500 4250 4000 3750 1500 (e) Engines and OBMs 85 78 63 55 10 Expected new Catch after rejuvanation (kg) 32000 18000 17500 15500 15500