News
Kalpitiya fishermen allege illegal net use is hurting harvest
View(s):The use of illegal fishing nets by some fishermen in the Kalpitiya area is causing concern among fishermen in the as they say the harvest is less.
These fishermen claim that the use of the nets known as ‘Lyla’ and ‘Surukku’ affects the harvest for a about a month and that affects their livelihood.
Kandakuliya rural fishing society president Milinda Fernando said the use of ‘Lyla’ is permissible only 10 km away from the shore but some fishermen are violating this rule and are going deeper into the sea affecting the harvest.
He said fishermen were using illegal nets to catch large quantities of fish, sometimes throwing excess back into the sea, and also indiscriminately catching smaller fish.
Puttalam Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department assistant director Sarath Chandranayake noted that a previous Supreme Court order granted special permission to some 40 fishermen to use these nets under strict conditions.
In response to the growing concerns, Puttalam District NPP MP Ajith Gihan stated that they have requested a report on the use of these nets from the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA).
Pix and text by
Padma Kumari Kankanamge
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