Longline fishing in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Coastal and deep sea fishing are the main sub sectors of Sri Lankan fishery industry. The deep sea fisheries in Sri Lanka have been in existence since the early 1980. Sri Lanka coastal fishing sector mainly uses conventional methods with less capital investments. Dispute of this, coastal fish production of Sri Lanka is higher than the deep sea fish production.

Longline and gillnet are the two widely use fishing methods in deep sea fishing sector. In this paper economic efficiency, Post Harvest Fish Lost (PHFL) of longline fishing are evaluated and identified. Similar evaluation is conducted for gillnet fishing to compare the position of longline fishing in the deep sea fishing sector. Research methodology for economic efficiency and PHFL was developed using the findings of literature survey.

Primary data were collected from 150 deep sea vessels operated in Negombo fishery harbour. 3,346 deep sea fishing vessels are operated in Sri Lanka in the year 2010 according to the fishery statistic 2010, issued by Ministry of fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MFARD). Data collection was done during February through October of 2011 in Negombo fishery harbour. Accounting Rate of Return (ARR) measures the net gain from a capital investment. ARR is use to evaluate and identify the economic efficiencies of longline fishing and gillnet fishing. To calculate ARR, capital investments, fix costs, variable costs, revenues, number of fishing trips per years are used.Further this paper investigates the trend of longline fishing in the Sri Lanka. Secondary data from MFARD and FAO were used to evaluate and identify the trend.

Findings indicate that the ARR for longline fishing are attractive and comparatively higher than gillnet fishing. It is found that PHFL of longline Fishing is very less. PHFL of longline fishing is found as around 12.5% of gillnet fishing. Further deep sea fishing sector demonstrates impressive improvement during last few years. Hence the results conclude that high return and high quality standard of longline fishing. This will make longline fishing more popular and attractive in deep sea fishery sector. Further Deep sea fishing will dominate Sri Lanka fishery sector as implied in trend analysis. Hence longline fishing will be very significant in Sri Lanka fishery sector. It is suggested that in order to improve the fisher sector in Sri Lanka, longline fishing should be promoted by placing right credit mechanism to the fishermen, easy and affordable access to modern technology and right infrastructures for longline vessels in fishery harbours.