The Situation of Small-Scale Fisheries in Mannaar, Sri Lanka Dr. Augstine Soosai University of Jaffna 10-11 April 2008 Gjestetun, Os, Norway
Introduction Mannaar affected by war for 3 decades Fisheries is the main source of income Intensive military confrontations for the past 1-year We will look at the current situation faced by the Tamil speaking fishermen in Mannaar
Mannaar District: Location & geographical background Mannaar district is located in the Northwestern Sri Lanka which is one of the five administrative districts of the Northern Province. The district covers 2,002 sq km including the island of Mannaar, approximately 3% of the total land area of Sri Lanka. Geographically, the bulk of Mannaar is on the mainland within the arid and dry zone. High temperature, 26.5º C - 30.0ºC and low rainfall a characterizes acte es the climate. Mannaar receives 60% of its rainfall during the Northeast Monsoon which lasts from October to December.
Mannaar District
Mannaar District: Location & geographical background [continued] Population in the district, according to the 1981 Census: 106,900. It is 0.71% of the total population of Sri Lanka. Government Agents offic in Mannaar estimated the population of the district in March 2003 as 97,101. This figure includes 5,276 displaced families (21,632 individuals, originally from the other districts of NorthEast. It excludes nearly 40,000 displaced persons living outside of the district and an additional 30,000 in refugee camps in South India.
Mannaar District: Location & geographical background [continued] According to the Mannaar district fisheries extension officers, the pre-war fisherfolk population in Mannaar consisted of 16,159 persons from 4,402 fishing families and 32 fishing villages, approximately 16% of the population of the district. Most of the fishing families have been displaced due to the war before the signing of Norwegian facilitated 2002 Ceasefire Agreement. During the peace process between the GoSL and the LTTE, some of the fishing families returned to Mannaar and gradually resettled in their villages, rising the number of fishing families to 7,033 at the end of 2002. This is 28% of the total population of the entire district.
Mannaar District: Location & geographical background [continued] However, extensively demarcated military High Security Zones (HSZ), especially in coastal area, has caused many displaced families in South India to remain there, unable to resettle in Mannaar. After the break-down of the CFA in September 2006, fishermen in two entire divisions, Musali and Maanthai, in the district have been completely displaced. 8,286 persons from15 fishing villages, constituting 29,5% of the total fishing population of Mannaar, have become IDPs.
Mannaar District: Location & geographical background Table 1: No. of Fishing Families and Active Fishermen (1983-2002) Year Fishing Families Fishing Population Active Fishermen 1983 4,042 16,159159 5,551551 1990 3,734 14,897 4,985 1992 6,998 24,252 5,684 1996 7,058 25,428 8,452 1997 7,853 23,087 6,518 1998 7,976 25,287 7,771 1999 8,055 26,826 8,575 2000 7,923 26,971 9,185 2001 6,330 25,466 7,975 2002 7,033 28,159 9,334 Source: DFEO'S - Mannaar
Mannaar District: Location & geographical background Table 2: No. of Fishing Families and Active Fishermen (2007) Fisheris Inspector's Fishing Families Active Fishermen Total Fishermen division Mannaar 1,695 2,051 7,375 Peasaalai 1,730 2,888 7,763 Erukkalampiddi 723 944 2,553 Naanaaddan 1,052 1,327 3,173 Silaavatturai 860 757 3,539 Vidaththaltheevu 839 1,150 4,747 Total 6,899 9,117 29,150 Source: DFEO'S - Mannaar
Marine Resources Mannaar district, including the Mannaar island, is surrounded by rich fishing areas. Most productive fishing ground lie in the Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannaar. When compared with the other parts of Sri Lanka, the sea of Mannaar has remarkable marine environment suitable for fishing. Mannaar district i t has a marine coast line with a stretch t of 163 km, from Theavanpiddi in the north to Mu l likku lam in south. Fresh-water area of 4,867 ha. Encircling the Mannaar island is a shallow continental shelf with rich fishing banks, pearl bank and prawn banks as well as extensive area of 3,828 ha with brackish water and mangroves.
Marine Resources Source: Hydrographer of the Sri Lanka Navy
Marine Resources [continued] The Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannaar coastal warters over continental shelf contain a variety of species of fin fish, shell fish and holothurians. Shallow water species such as silver billies, bream, prawn, rabbit fish, mullet, cuttle fish and squid. The large pelagic fish such as paarai, seer, barracuda and Katta are also caught in addition to prawn and crabs. The coastal lagoon is a shallow / tidal flats area between the Mannaar island and the mainland, which holds various pelagic and demersal inshore species. This diversity of marine environment with rich fish resources has been the basis for a long and strong tradition of lagoon, coastal and offshore fishing as well as collecting of marine products by diving.
Fishing methods Generally, fishing sector is divided into three sub-sectors in Sri Lanka: 1. Coastal Fisheries, 2. Offshore/Deep Sea Fisheries, and 3. Inland Fisheries (which includes aquaculture and both freshwater and brakish water) In Mannaar, 99% of the fishing is Coastal Fisheries. Inland fishing is abandoned due to war conditions There is no offshore/deep sea fisheries in Mannaar. Despite the introduction of Multi-Day Boats in early 80 s, the Sri Lankan military has not allowed the Tamil speaking in the area to own MD boats.
Fishing methods [continued] Two types of fishing methods are identified in Mannaar, traditional and modern. Kaddumaram (thepppam), va l lam lam, o ru oru are the boats used in traditional fishing. Set nets, beach-seines, castnet, traps and handlines. Traditional methods are used by 30% of the fishing industry in Mannaar. Trawler (28-32 feet, IBM) and FRGB boats (17.5-23 feet, OBM) with trawl-nets, gill-nets and ring-nets are the modern fishing tools in use. Gill-nets: 61% Trawl-nets: 3% Set-nets:20% Beach-senies, hand-lines, traps, etc., including diving: 16%
Fishing methods [continued] Table 3: Types of fishing craft Types of boats No. Percentage Trawler (28-32 ft.) 60 3% OBM (17.5-23 ft. / FRGB) 1249 61% Theppam with engines 08 Vallam with engines 103 6% Oru with engines 09 Theppam without engines 214 Vallam without engines 305 30% Madel Oru 100 Source: DFEO'S - Mannaar
Production Trend (MT) Table 3: Year Production 1982 9745 1983 8685 1984 7825 1985 8246 1986 8246 1987 8567 1988 8694 1989 9050 1990 6299 1991 1783 1992 1225 1993 2300 1994 3500 1995 3800 1996 3850 1997 4100 1998 4547 1999 4600 2000 4600 2001 4758 2002 6083 2003 6066 2004 8747 2005 7181 2006 9287 2007 7469 Source: DFEO'S - Mannaar
Production Trend Fish Production in Mannaar, 1982-2007 in MT 12000 Production 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Year
Production Trend Stage 1: Post-Independence growth (1948-1960) Production was low due to the inefficient fishing methods based on traditional technology Stage 2: Transition to modern fishing methods (1960-1983) OBM & IBM boats, nets using synthetic fiber were introduced. Development of infrastructure facilities for processing and preservation. 5-6% of the coastal fish production was covered by Mannaar during early 80 s. (9,745 MT of 182,530) Stage 3: War time collapse of fisheries
[continued] War time collapse of fisheries: Production Trend Eelam War I (1983-1990): Displacement to South India with boats and Internal displacement. Production falls from 9,745 MT in 1982 to 7,825 MT in 1984. IPKF-Period P (1987-1990): An average of 8,000 MT Eelam War II (1990-1995): Deep fall in production to average 1500-3500 MT Eelam War III (1995-2002): average 4500 MT (1-2% of coastal fishing in SL) CFA period (2002-2006): Resettlement of refugees, relaxed military restrictions doubles the production to 9000 MT (3-11% of coastal fishing in SL) Eelam War IV (2006 onwards): The production starts to fall and at the end of year 2007 the situation gets worsened, resulting in an average annual production of 7469 MT. Due to heavy replacement and military restriction in 2008 as Mannaar has become the main theatre of war, the production is very low.
Conflict areas in Mannaar Entire Mannaar district could be divided into the five regions due to the ongoing war: 1. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled area with people: Mannaar and Naanaaddaan Divisions 2. SLA controlled areas without civilians: Musali (Silaavattu rai) 3. War Zone: Madu and Maanthai (LTTE controlled per 2002 CFA agreement) 4. Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) controlled area without civilians: Northern parts of Maanthai and Madu 5. LTTE controlled area with civilians in Maanthai and Madu divisions Fishing is only conducted in SLA controlled area (1) of Mannaar and Naanaaddaan Divisions.
Conflict areas in Mannaar
Conflict areas in Mannaar
War-stricken Mannaar A major part of the costal line has been vacated at the end of 2007 and the situation gets worsened day by day due to displacement. Southern coastal line (entire Musali division) has been de-populated by the military offensive at the end of 2007. Northern coastal line in Mannaar (Northern Maanthai) has been affected heavily due to artillery barrage, indiscriminate i i aerial bombardment and ongoing confrontations on the ground. Fishing activity is going on amid heavy military restrictions along a g y g g y y g small stretch of the coastal line in Naanaaddaan and around the Mannaar island.
Challenges faced by Small-Scale fishermen 1. Security threats & harassments - Pass system - Distance restriction - Time restriction (different restriction on leaving and returning) - Restriction in fuel - Restricted sea/coastal area - Sea mines? - Restrictions placed on engine horse-power - Restrictions on number of engines - Anchorage allowed only in military zones - Aerial attacks and artillery barrage
[continued] Challenges faced by Small-Scale fishermen 2. Trespassing Indian Fishermen Indian fishermen using trawlers trespass into Mannaar territorial waters and engage in trawl-net fishing, exploiting the fish resources such as beach de mer, prawns, chunk etc. Drift-nets used by local fishermen get destroyed, causing extensive financial burden. They engage in large scale fishing for 3-days in a week. Mannaar fishermen are unable to engage in fishing activities during these days in the seas controlled by Indian fishermen. Confrontations between the local fishermen and the Indian fishermen across historical waters.
Trawlers of trespassing Indian fishermen in the custody of Sri Lanka Navy, 2004
[continued] 3. Dynamite fishing Challenges faced by Small-Scale fishermen Certain villagers engage in illegal fishing using explosives, causing damage of fish resources, coral reefs and mangrove. Indirect damage: drift-nets and beach-seine get damaged by the material dumped by the dynamite fishermen. Tree logs, concrete and steal shrapnel destroy the above nets. Coastal vegetation is destroyed as trees are cut by those who engage in illegal fishing. Physical injuries to fishermen.
[continued] 4. Other issues: Challenges faced by Small-Scale fishermen Displaced fishermen encroach traditional coastal-stretches used by local fishermen. Local fishermen are unable to engage in fishing by using beach seine along these stretches (karaivalai paadu) as settlers use set nets there. Conflict between local fishermen and IDP fishermen. Infrastructure (roads and distribution facilities) disturbed by the war.
Solutions: Resettlement, removal of restrictions, restoration of infrastructure effective rehabilitation and reconciliation is possible only in a peaceful environment where fishermen could enjoy their legal rights and liberty. Removal of sea mines and dismantling of High Security Zones. A solution for the problem of trespassing could be achieved by effective dialogue and mutual understanding between the fishermen on either sides of Palk Strait. These are Tamil fishermen who share their historical waters. Currently the States in New Delhi and Colombo seem to neglect the interests of these people. Only an effective administration without the involvement of corrupted military and police officials, could put an end to illegal fishing activities such as dynamite fishing. Effective enforcement of law is also needed to counter such practices. Awareness campaign on crucial issues.
Conclusion: These solutions are only possible in a peaceful environment created through a negotiated settlement in which Tamil speaking people gain self-rule, with political and administrative control on their own affairs. Thank you!