Developing fish landing centres: Experiences and lessons from Sri Lanka

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. No. 1063

Developing fish landing centres: Experiences and
lessons from Sri Lanka

by
Simon Diffey
Chief Technical Advisor Restoration and Improvement of Fish Landing Centres
with Stakeholder Participation
in Management Project
Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, UK

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
in collaboration with
the Canadian International Development Agency
Rome 2012

ABSTRACT

Diffey, S. 2012.
Developing fish landing centres: Experiences and lessons from Sri Lanka.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular No. 1063. Rome, FAO. 88 pp.

A significant amount of coastal infrastructure was damaged or destroyed by the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and the livelihoods of many fisher families were adversely affected. While the reconstruction of the larger harbours and anchorages received priority from the donor community post-tsunami, the rehabilitation of the many landing centres developed at a slower pace.

Post-tsunami, FAO assisted with the preparation of a master plan for fisheries infrastructure rehabilitation and development. As part of this plan, a project was identified to support the longer-term objective of reconstructing and developing the inshore marine fisheries sector. This paper traces the experiences of this project – Restoration and Improvement of Fish Landing Centres with Stakeholder Participation in Management – the goal of which was to improve the livelihoods of fishers and fishing communities in tsunami-affected areas in Sri Lanka. This goal was broadened midway through the project to include postconflict areas in the north of the country following the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka in mid-2009.

This paper documents the experiences and lessons generated by the project, which it is hoped will serve as a source of information and inspiration for further work in the sustainable development of small-scale fishing communities and fish landing centres elsewhere. Attention focuses on the involvement of stakeholders, the practical aspects of the initial profiling and selection process for landing site development, and the importance of capacity development in ensuring sustainability of the project outcome. The methodology of the project with regard to infrastructure development, in particular the planning steps and procedures, the importance of the business planning process and training delivery, is discussed and the role of village-based institutions explored. The paper also provides an opportunity to present the comprehensive monitoring and evaluation process used by the project and introduces the use of a geographic information system as a management tool for the strategic planning of landing site development. The paper concludes with the lessons to be learned and a simple cost–benefit analysis of the infrastructure investment undertaken by the project.

Table of Contents

Preparation of this document Abstract Acknowledgements Contributors Acronyms and abbreviations Executive summary
1.	Introduction
	Why this publication?
	Intended audience
	Project context and rationale
	Goal, outcome and objectives of the project
	Project sites and geographic focus
	Who were involved?
	The FLC development process – a checklist
	Other relevant publications
2.	Project approach and methodology
	Implementation framework
	Setting the scene – how important is the sector?
	Stakeholder identification
	Buy-in to project objectives – the importance of consultation
	The issue of land ownership
	Selection criteria – the basics
	Consultation and the participatory rural appraisal process
	Needs assessment – the starting point
	A non-prescriptive approach – every fish landing site is different
	The importance of environmental screening
	Capacity development – training, awareness-raising and cross-visits
	Landing centre co-management committees
	Role of government
	Gender issues and how these were addressed
3.	Planning infrastructure development
	Landing site profiles and infrastructure development
	The infrastructure planning process – steps and procedures followed
	The Coast Conservation Department permit process
	The preparation of drawings and bill of quantities
	Tendering and contracting of contractors
4.	Participation, livelihoods and capacity development
	Who participates, when and how?
	The sustainable livelihoods approach
	Training of government staff
	CFHC capacity development
	Study tours and lessons learned
	Strengthening community-based organizations to fulfil their management role
	Supporting livelihoods and ensuring sustainability – the business planning process and asset co-management
	The operations and maintenance manual – complementing the business plans
	Involvement of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka
5.	Data management, monitoring and evaluation
	The project's monitoring and evaluation system
	Master plan for rehabilitation and the need for a national database
	Development of a GIS database
	The project's "traffic light" system
6.	Lessons learned
	Project design
	Capacity development
	Promoting community participation in management and the importance of business planning
	A role for FCCISL
	The importance of a communication strategy
	The importance of engaging community and district-based staff
	The need for sustainable M&E activities
	How to maintain the SANDS database
	Construction and rehabilitation of FLCs
	The economics of FLC development
REFERENCES
Appendix 1. Map of FLC locations (traffic-light database)
Appendix 2. Breakdown of project beneficiaries
Appendix 3. Criteria for selection and prioritization of FLC development
Appendix 4. Supplementary checklist for coastal environmental screening of fish landing centres
Appendix 5. Infrastructure asset database
Appendix 6. Government officer training courses and workshops
Appendix 7. Result framework
Appendix 8. Traffic light database ("yellow" and "red" sites)
Appendix 9. Before and after situation of landing sites
Appendix 10. Cost–benefit analysis database

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