This paper discusses the execution and findings of a project that sought to “obtain information on the availability of surface and deep-swimming tuna in Sri Lanka” and on the technical feasibility of the exploitation of those species by “small-to-medium size craft in the 25 to 100 nm range of the EEZ.”

The project was carried out during 1987 - 1988 under a Technical Cooperation Programme agreement between FAO and the Government of Sri Lanka. It was executed by the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) of Sri Lanka with technical assistance from the Bay of Bengal Programme for Fisheries Development (BOBP).

Under the project, exploratory fishing was conducted with Negombo and Galle as bases using a boat provided by the Ministry of Fisheries. Gillnets, troll lines and longlines were the fishing gears used.

The BOBP is a multi-agency regional fisheries programme which covers seven countries around the Bay of Bengal - Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand. Its main goal is to develop, demonstrate and promote technologies, methodologies and systems to help improve technologies, methodologies and systems to help improve the living standards of small-scale fisherfolk communities. The BOBP is sponsored by the governments of Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom, by member-governments in the Bay of Bengal region, and also by UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), AGFUND (Arab Gulf Fund for United Nations Development Organizations) and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). The main executing agency is the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).