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| Sunday, 6 March 2005 |
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Debris hinders fishing in Batticaloa lagoon From Elmo Leonard in Batticaloa
The Batticaloa lagoon abounds with crabs, prawns, small types of fish and other biodiversity, but canoe-holders said that following the tsunami of Boxing Day, fishing is hindered due to wood, trees, broken fishing craft and debris of all types having entered this vast water body. Their canoes are incapable of moving the debris out of the lagoon they said, and expect the authorities or some kind NGO to come to their assistance. Destruction apart, Narma Fibre Industries (NFI) Batticaloa, the only boatyard in the Batticaloa district has more orders than they could handle. The nearest boatyard is at Kalmunai, in the Ampara District. NFI's Marine Consultant, M Mahadevan said that it would take around a year for all the surviving fishermen in the Batticaloa district to obtain new fishing craft for the ones they lost. Besides, many of the roads along the coasts are damaged. "The catch of fish cannot be transported without accessing roads," he said.
Since the tsunami, NFI has orders for 400 lagoon canoes and 600 sea-going canoes all of 18 foot length. NFI commenced operations in 1992 with one lagoon canoe mould. In 2003 the industry won the Sri Lanka Entrepreneur of the Year award for Fibre Glass Board Manufacture conducted by the-Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC). It was the first time that an industry in the north or east of the island won such an award for fibre glass manufacture, proprietor, K. Thiruchelvam said. The NFI boatyard in Sri Sathvinagar Road, Kallady Batticaloa is a hive of activity. Among the sea-going craft they make are: Boats with outboard motor engines of 19.5 foot length. This fibre glass boat is sold at Rs. 99,000. Engines of 15 horse power which cost Rs. 142,000 can be purchased at Batticaloa and fitted on. At present there is no big demand for these boats. Another type is the canoe or vallam of 21' 6". These canoes are often used to lay large nets called madal. The canoes cost Rs. 64,000 and could be fitted to an 8 horse power engine which costs Rs. 135,000. Another product put out by this company are 18 ft canoes which cost Rs. 40,000. Fifteen foot lagoon craft are sold at Rs. 21,000. In better times under a Department of Fisheries subsidy scheme, fishermen paid 10 to 20 percent of the cost of the fishing craft and the Department paid the remaining amount. In the last two years there was no subsidy, fishermen said. Now, with NGO grants and under USAID fishermen get their canoes. |
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