2. Report of Activities/Progress
Boat Registration and Fishing Operations Licence
Training in Fisheries Management
Management of the Offshore Large Pelagics Fisheries
Progress with the Negombo Lagoon Fisheries Study
Progress with the South Coast Lobster Fisheries Study
This government executed project funded by the UNDP commenced in early 1993. Termination has now been scheduled for December 31, 1998. The Project's objectives remained unchanged throughout the period. They are to establish a mechanism for the management of fisheries, to strengthen the capability of the field staff in fisheries management, and to promote fisherfolk participation in management. The consultant Fisheries Management Advisor (FMA) was appointed by FAO, for the purpose of providing technical advice and direction in relation to fisheries management. The current mission of nearly two months is the fifth undertaken by the consultant. The associated terms of reference, international travel schedule, and persons met are given in Appendix 1. The earlier missions were for three months (June 23 - 25 September, 1996), two months (October 21 - December 20, 1996), four months (May 11 - September 6, 1997), and two months (February 18 - April 17, 1998). One additional mission of three months is scheduled for the end of 1998. During this the consultant will seek to complete unfinished activities and assist with preparing the project terminal report.
This section provides a brief account of the technical activities involving the consultant. During the current mission attention was devoted almost solely to completing the analysis and report of the Negombo Lagoon Fisheries Study. The consultant also provided training and assistance to the project's biologist, who has started the analysis of data being collected from the on-going study of the south coast lobster fishery. Changes to the management of these fisheries, the Negombo Lagoon and south coast lobster fisheries, have nevertheless remained in limbo. The draft management plans and regulations (see Mission Report May 11 - September 6, 1997) are still under consideration by the Parliamentary Consultative Committee. No further assistance from the consultant on these matters was requested during the current mission.
During the mission there were reports submitted from national consultants, one dealing with the structure and functions of the Fisheries Department, and the other with the levels of compliance amongst boat owners to the requirements that all craft be registered and licensed. Formal discussion within the Fisheries Department on these is to occur during small workshops being scheduled for mid-August. The consultant has provided comments on the issues to be discussed. A larger workshop being sponsored by the project on fisheries management and the role of fisheries officers is scheduled for August 11, 1998. This should be of major significance, as the workshop will feature the substantial participation of the Minister and Deputy Minister, in addition to senior HQ staff and the District Fisheries Extension Officers.
Present regulations require that all fishing craft be registered, that all fishing operations be licensed, and that the renewals for both occur annually. The issues previously raised by the consultant include whether to discontinue registration for the smaller craft, and whether to have renewal take place every 2 (or 3, or 4, or 5) years. A review of the present compliance levels in each district was also proposed, along with an examination of how the existing registration and licence (paper) records are being manually filed/stored/utilised in the District Fisheries Extension Offices (DFEOs). Each of these matters and others have now been addressed in the reports submitted by national consultants. It seems that field staff favour continuing to require registration and licensing of all craft and fishing operations, and for renewals to occur annually. Less than 20 percent of craft were found to be currently registered, and less than 10 percent of fishing operations are licensed. There are similarly low levels of compliance to the requirement that craft be marked with identifying codes (letters and numbers). Also, the records were found to be incomplete and inaccurate, to the extent that the national consultants have recommended that they be abandoned.
The scheduling of the additional 4 five-day training courses for field staff has proven difficult, following exclusion from the previous venue for reasons of security. A new venue has now been identified and the necessary arrangements are being made. The lectures are to be given by Dr. K. Sivasubramaniam, and Messrs. L. Joseph and N. Siripala. The content of the courses is expected to remain as earlier, and includes the definition of fisheries management, bio-economic relationships, concepts of over-fishing, socio-economic influences, objectives of management, conduct for responsible fisheries, and strategies of implementation. Examples of fisheries management as applied in Sri Lanka and abroad will also be provided. The important new initiative will be the workshop on fisheries management and the role of fisheries officers, to be attended by the Minister. The lead subjects are to include concepts and strategies, the linkage between management and research, the role of fisheries officers, and the legal aspects of management.
The previous mission report made reference to the consultant's involvement with analyses and report preparation concerning the offshore fisheries for large pelagics (eg. tunas). Subsequent to the current mission, the findings and recommendations were presented at seminars sponsored jointly by the AdB funded Fisheries Development Project and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). There was general agreement that expansion of the gill net fleet should be constrained, and that the fishing success on larger tunas justified the establishment of a small fleet of tuna longliners. The important follow-up action involving this project has been to field an international consultant Boat Builder/Naval Architect (Mr. O. Guldraldsen), whose task was to review multi-day boat designs, and prepare drawings of improved designs, particularly to be used in the establishment of a longline fleet. The very important complementary activities which are needed, and which are outside the purview of the project, concern ensuring adequate supplies of low priced bait (required for longlining), and improving fish handling practices in order that the quality demands of the high-price specialty markets can be satisfied.
The study commenced in January 1997. It has involved the collection of biological data, particularly in respect to the shrimp components of the catches, as well as data on catches and fishing efforts, product prices, and fishing costs. Because shrimp are caught both within and outside the lagoon, the study was extended to include the outside trawl fisheries. The main counterparts to the consultant have been the Shrimp Biologist from NARA (Mr. Jayawardena) and the project's Fishery Economist (Mrs. Sumanawathie). Both the analyses and the preparation of the report are now largely completed. The executive summary and recommendations from the report are presented in Appendix 2. The findings generally support the contention that the fisheries are performing satisfactorily. This is in the sense that the potential for employment is fully utilised, and while remuneration levels are modest, they are nevertheless much the same as available within the surrounding economy. The scope to increase catches appears negligible. A feature of the fisheries which acts to provide additional stability, is the remarkable integration provided by different gears, catching different species, and different sizes. Although not addressed in this study, the future performance of the fisheries could be jeopardised, if there were major changes to the environment within the lagoon. The recommendations from the study are in concert with the proposals in the Draft Management Plan for the Negombo Lagoon Fisheries
This study commenced at the beginning of 1998. Five data collectors are employed by the project in the Hambantota District. They collect catch and fishing effort data, the lengths and weights of individual lobster, and other biological data on sexual maturity and presence of eggs. The five species found in the catches are P. homarus, P. versicolor, P. ornatus, P. longipes, and P. penicillatus, with the first being the most abundant. The data for March 1998 and subsequent months have been analysed by the project's Fishery Biologist. Examples are provided for one of the species in Appendices 3, 4 and 5. The study is expected to continue to the end of the next main fishing season (October - May) in which case the final analyses and report writing will be undertaken during the latter half of 1999. The several uncertainties include whether the biologist will become a permanent member of the staff of the Fisheries Department beyond the termination of the project in December, and the provision of funds to allow continued data collection by the people presently employed in the district.
Obvious actions required by the Fisheries Department include its re-organisation and clarification of functions. The forthcoming workshop involving the Minister should prove a milestone in respect to deciding future management philosophy. It should also help to re-define the role of fisheries officers. Continuing focus must be directed at strengthening the systems associated with boat registration, the licensing of fishing operations, and the collection of fisheries statistics. Management plans should be brought to completion, and implementation commenced. Achieving greater awareness by the fishing communities, and their full inclusion within the management formulation and implementation process must be strengthened. There must be a better understanding of the bio-economic performance of at least the major fisheries. These all relate to activities undertaken by the Project, and which must continue beyond its termination.
Specific recommendations having some urgency are:
i. the positions of Fishery Economist and Fishery Biologist to be made permanent
ii. funding secured to enable continuation of the South Coast Lobster Study
iii. international training in fisheries economics for the Fishery Economist
iv. international training in fish stock assessment for the Fishery Biologist
v. completion of the Fisheries Resources Review (requiring a second mission by the consultant Resource Specialist)
vi. securing continued technical assistance (beyond the Project's termination) for strengthening the fisheries statistics system.
The Fisheries Management Advisor (FMA) is primarily concerned with providing technical advice and direction in relation to overall fisheries management. He shall operate under the general supervision of the National Project Director (NPD) and will provide technical advice on methodology of fisheries management and on options appropriate to the local situation and in particular:
1. The linkage between biological, economical and social issues in developing fisheries management plans
2. Advice on implementation of the new Fisheries Act
3. Support with the analysis and reporting of the Negombo Lagoon and South Coast Lobster Fisheries Studies
4. Advice on management and implementation plans on
i. Management of the lobster fishery
ii. Other relevant fisheries
5. Preparation of progress reports, work plans etc.
Arrival Departure
Rome June 11
Bangkok June 12 June 12
Colombo June 12 August 5
Bangkok August 5 August 7
Melbourne August 7
None were undertaken during the mission.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Mr. G.J. Bernard, FAO Representative
Mr. K.P. Sugathapala, Programme Assistant
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Ms. Rekha Thapa, Deputy Resident Representative
Dr. Frederick Abeyaratne, Programme Officer
Ms. Nina Abeydeera, Programme Assistant
Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (DFARD)
Mr. M.T.K. Nagodavithana, Director of Fisheries & National Project Director
Mr. H.V.C. Fernando, Deputy Director & National Project Coordinator
Mr. M.A.A. Munasinghe, Snr. District Fishery Extension Officer
Mr. M. A. W. Ariyadasa, Snr. District Fishery Extension Officer
Mr. R. Rodrigo, Fishery Statistician
Mrs. A. Sumanawathie, Fishery Economist
Mrs. H.P.K. Hewapathirana, Fishery Biologist
National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA)
Dr. S. Jayakody, Director General
Dr. C. Amarasouriya, OIC Fisheries Biology Section
Dr. N. Karunasinghe, Snr. Fisheries Research Officer
National Consultants
Dr. K. Sivasubramaniam, Institutions Specialist
Dr. L. Joseph, Fishery Surveys Specialist
(Extracted from the Report of the Negombo Lagoon Fisheries Study)
Fishing Gears and Methods
Fishing inside the lagoon involves the use of eight principal gear types. All of these, with the exception of gill nets and hand lines, are used mainly to catch shrimp. The most common gears are trammel nets. These along with cast nets are operated across the central portion of the lagoon. Stake nets are operated immediately inside the entrance. They are set at night during the outgoing tide and target species aggregated at the entrance or migrating to sea. The gears used in the shallower waters around the margins are drag nets and brush pile. Drag nets are towed through the water by fishermen at each end. Brush piles are dead tree branches, each encompassing an area of 5 - 10 m in diameter, whose catches are periodically removed with surrounding nets. The other important gear used in the lagoon for catching shrimp are fyke nets. These are set at the southern end adjacent to the marsh. Shrimp trawl nets are used outside the lagoon, from non-mechanised trawlers operated north of the entrance, and mechanised trawlers operated 5 - 10 km to the south. Apart from the latter, all craft are of traditional design. Fishing with mechanised craft is prohibited within the lagoon.
Catches, Fishing Efforts, and Catch Values
The annual catch in 1997, estimated for all gears was 2,258 t, comprised of 883 t of shrimp and 1,375 t of others (mostly fish). The contribution from the lagoon was 613 t of shrimp and 1,136 t of others. The single most productive gear were trammel nets. These caught 304 t of shrimp and 1,044 t of others. The production from trawls operated outside the lagoon was 270 t of shrimp and 239 t of others. The fishing efforts expended within the lagoon totalled 312,638 landings and 1,642,952 fishing hours. The former indicates almost 1,000 landings per day. The combined effort with trawls was 24,660 landings and 168,479 fishing hours. The monthly catches per unit effort (CPUE) indicates that spring and autumn were the most productive seasons for shrimp. The CPUEs for the non-shrimp species show much less seasonality. The value of the catches (at the landing sites) for all gears was estimated as Rs 154 million (equiv. $US 2.5 million). The contribution from the gears used in the lagoon was Rs 114 million. About two-thirds of these amounts were from the shrimp components.
Species and Sizes of Shrimp in the Catches
Fourteen species of shrimp were identified, although only six were major contributors to the catches. The most important from the central portion of the lagoon were P. indicus and to a lesser extent P. semisulcatus. P. indicus was also the main species caught from brush piles. The stake nets set at the entrance caught mainly M. dobsoni and M. moyebi. The latter were a major component of the catches from drag nets. The other important species caught inside the lagoon was M. elegans. This and M. moyebi are able to complete their life cycles within lagoon environments, hence very few were found in the catches from outside. The main components of the trawl catches were M. dobsoni and Pa. coromandelica. M. dobsoni was the only major contributor to both the lagoon and outside catches. P. indicus and P. semisulcatus were relatively scarce in the trawl catches. Pa. coromandelica is a wholly marine species. The sizes of the shrimp caught differed substantially between gears. The smaller sizes were from the drag nets and brush pile, and larger sizes from the trammel nets, cast nets, and trawls. The stake nets produced mostly small and intermediate sizes.
Growth and Mortality of Shrimp
It was confirmed for all species that two cohorts enter the fisheries each year, from separate spawnings in spring and autumn. P. indicus and P. semisulcatus attain much larger sizes than the other four species, with M. moyebi being the smallest. Females invariably grew larger than males. Analyses were undertaken to establish the mathematical relationships between each of carapace length and age, carapace length and total weight, and carapace length and total length. The rates of growth at mid-length were estimated to be approaching 1 mm/week (carapace length) for P. indicus and P. semisulcatus, about 0.6 mm/week for M. dobsoni, M. elegans and Pa. coromandelica, and about 0.4 mm/week for M. moyebi. It was concluded that most of the shrimp caught in the lagoon were aged from several months to about one year, and between about 6 and 14 months for those caught outside. Analyses were undertaken to determine the mathematical relationships between natural mortality and age. The findings were consistent with the maximum age for all species being about 2 years. Slightly lower mortalities were estimated for the larger species. The major source of natural mortality is presumed to be predation.
Investments, Fishing Costs, and Remunerations
Cash flow analyses were undertaken in respect to hypothetical base case fishing units. These utilised data were collected during interviews with fishermen owners. Estimates of the investment (in craft and gear) required to replace existing units with new items ranged between Rs 25 000 for brush pile and drag net units to about Rs 320 000 for a mechanised trawl unit. Fishing costs were found to be low, except for mechanised trawlers for which engine fuel was a major item. Investment in craft and gear, repairs and maintenance, and payments to crew were the main items of cost. Daily trip costs and annual administrative charges (eg. craft registration and fishing operations licence) were generally negligible. No craft were insured. Few owners had borrowed, and roughly an equal number had received government subsidies to meet the costs of craft and gear. Crews were invariably paid a share of the catch value less trip costs. The estimated monthly remunerations per crew were found to be remarkably similar for all gears, and ranged from Rs 4 500 - 6 000. The monthly remunerations to fishermen owners for their labour and investment were estimated as between about Rs 5 000 - 13 000 (after depreciation). The upper value relates to operating a mechanised trawl unit (for which a large investment is required). The lower value reflects the remuneration to be expected from operating either a trammel net, cast net, or brush pile unit. These are little different from the estimated remunerations per crew.
Mathematical Model of the Fisheries
A model was created to answer questions concerning the likely outcomes from changes in the fisheries inputs, particularly the consequences to catch weights and CPUEs from applying different fishing efforts. The model was structured to accommodate the eight gear types and six shrimp species. The required inputs included the fishing efforts, the parameters describing growth and natural mortality, catchability coefficients, selection/recruitment ogives, and recruitment numbers. Some of the inputs were estimated internally from the model. This involved comparing the estimated and observed length frequencies associated with inputting the contemporary fishing efforts. The outputs were estimates for the annual catch numbers, catch weights, CPUEs, and catch length frequencies. A shortcoming of the model, the absence of spatial separation for the stock components, was understood and accommodated within the interpretation of the findings. A future task is to include the spatial separation.
Applications of the Model
Three hypothetical scenarios were examined. In the first scenario the fishing effort with stake nets was varied while the efforts for the other gears were maintained at the contemporary levels. The results indicated substantial benefit was likely from increased stake net effort. In reality, there is very little scope for increased effort, as the suitable sites at the entrance of the lagoon are already fully utilised. The findings provided no evidence that would justify a reduction in the stake net effort. In the second scenario the fishing effort with trammel nets was varied. The decrease in trammel net CPUEs from increasing the effort was judged likely to be intolerable in economic terms; while the loss of catch from reducing the effort was found likely to be greater than the increase in catch from the other gears. The results as such provided no compelling evidence to support either a deliberate increase or decrease in the trammel net effort. In the third scenario, the fishing efforts for each of the trawl fisheries were varied. The findings indicated that the potential to increase the mechanised trawler catch is negligible (while access continues to be denied to additional fishing grounds south of Colombo). There seems greater scope to increase the catch from non-mechanised trawlers, although this would be associated with substantial reduction in the already modest CPUEs.
Implication for Future Management
The fisheries are performing satisfactorily at present. This is in the sense that the opportunities for employment are close to being fully utilised. Also, while remuneration levels are modest, they are generally similar to those available within the surrounding economy. Any attempts to expand the fisheries would cause reduced remuneration levels, and hence be unwelcome to those presently engaged. The varied and integrated character of the fisheries (eg. different gears being targeted at different species and sizes) confers additional stability and should be preserved. The other important characteristic to be preserved is the generally low costs of fishing, in large part the consequence of the traditional crafts and methods used. As the scope to increase catches or employment seems negligible, the priorities will continue to be social harmony and an appropriate sharing of the benefits. The on-going community based management applied successfully in the stake net fishery, provides an important blueprint upon which the management of the other fisheries can be based. Beneficial outcomes are most likely to be achieved with the communities fully incorporated within the fisheries management process.
Recommendations
1. The `open access' character of the fisheries (other than the stake net fishery) means that the present CPUEs and hence remunerations to the fishermen are not secured. They would be reduced from their present modest levels in the event of an increase in the number of fishermen and craft. While an influx is not believed to be imminent, it is nevertheless recommended that legislation be enacted which enables control over the number of fishing units. Furthermore, that this control be exercised through co-management arrangements that include the local fishing communities as major participating entities. An important associated element will be to have some means of readily identifying the entitled fishing units.
2. The present management regime prohibits the use of motorised craft within the lagoon for the purpose of fishing. It also prohibits the use of certain fishing gears and methods that are damaging to the lagoon environment. There is a separation of the trawler fleets operating outside the lagoon: the non-mechanised trawlers being engaged north of the entrance, while the mechanised trawlers are confined to grounds well to the south. These measures serve to preserve harmony and an appropriate sharing of the fisheries resources. It is recommended that all of the measures be continued.
3. The fisheries are characterised by low costs of fishing (other than the mechanised trawl fishery for which there are substantial fuel costs). This is highly important in preserving acceptable remuneration levels. Attempts to introduce new technologies or increased quantities of gear per fishing operation that might ultimately lead to reduced remunerations should be avoided. Some trammel net fishermen have sought to enhance their share by increasing the number of nets used. This acts to reduce the catches of the other fishermen, unless they also use more nets. In order to avoid an unnecessary spiralling of gear usage and hence costs, it is recommended to limit the number of trammel nets able to be used from a fishing unit.
4. Although not investigated during this study, the future performance of the fisheries is highly vulnerable to changes in the environment within the lagoon. The lagoon is a shallow, largely enclosed water-body, surrounded by urban development, and industrial encroachment. It is recommended that extreme care be taken to preserve and where necessary enhance the fisheries values of the lagoon environment.
5. As a step towards minimising damage to the lagoon environment from fishing activities themselves, it is recommended that consideration be given to prohibiting the use of drag nets in those areas of the lagoon in which there are sea-grass beds, either existing or to be re-established. This might be achieved by the placement of marker poles to indicate the offshore boundaries of the areas to be protected, and preventing the use of drag nets inshore of the poles.
6. Including the fishing communities as major participants in the management process will presumably be reflected by greater adherence to management measures. It will nevertheless remain necessary that an effective enforcement presence exist. As such, it is recommended that the local enforcement capability be reviewed. Improvement might be achieved by re-defining the duties of the existing Fisheries Inspectors (FI), who presently are almost solely engaged in extension and social welfare activities. The alternative approach would be to establish a small group of dedicated enforcement staff operating directly from the District Fisheries Extension Office (DFEO).
