The need for sustainable development of the small-scale fisheries - A case study from the Northern Province, Sri Lanka.

Abstract

The purpose of this master thesis is to explore the present situation of the coastal small-scale fishery in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka and to bring an overall picture of the coastal small-scale fishery. To attain this, a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat matrix was formulated. The study also point out the main bottlenecks of sustainable fishery development. Finally the study recommends ways to improve the present situation. The study used case study research methodology. The study involved interviews with thirty nine Northern fishermen. The primary data were collected using a questionnaire. The secondary data were retrieved from internet sources. Once the data were collected, they were edited, coded and summarized. Microsoft Excel was then used to analyze the data. Data were then presented by way of tables and figures. The first objective was to explore present situation of the coastal fishery of the Northern Province. The findings revealed the situation in terms of marine resources, fishing methods, fishing communities and fishery production trend. The second objective sought to formulate a SWOT matrix and to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Northern coastal fishery for sustainable development. The study showed that the coastal fishery of the Northern Province is characterized by range of SWOT elements. Strengths include the potential new marine resources, effective policy implementation tools in place, established markets and infrastructure and strong local ecological knowledge. Weaknesses include the lack of reliable data and declining catches, strong dependency on middlemen, large post harvest losses and lack of extension services. The locally growing demand for fish and organizational supports represent opportunities. Finally, this study showed that intrusion of Indian fishermen, IUU fishing by the Northern fishermen, prolonged ethnic conflict and climate change are the threats for the sustainable development of the coastal fishery of Sri Lanka. The third and fourth objectives sought to uncover the main bottlenecks of sustainable fishery development and to recommend ways to improve the present situation for the sustainable development of the coastal fishery respectively.