Sea fishing at Vakarai

By Jayantha Jayawardene

Those of my vintage and earlier remember Vakarai with nostalgia of the great times we had there. This was in an era now long gone. Many, including planters, used to go to places such as Arugam Bay, Passikudah, Panichankerni, Vakarai and Verugal, all of which are on the east coast, for a period of rest and relaxation and to also indulge in shooting, fishing and sea bathing.

These places were wild and undeveloped and offered a totally different environment and atmosphere in which to relax. Shooting pig and jungle fowl was for fun and the spoils were for the pot. Excess wild boar flesh was given to the trackers and the villagers who lived in those areas.

Before you reached Vakarai you had to cross a ferry at Panichankerni.

Now there is a brand new bridge, opened only last month. Just on the other side of the ferry was a two bedroomed Rest House. Visitors generally booked the whole Rest House.

The Rest House keeper at Vakarai was, in the manner of many of his kind all over the island, a great cook and good at general hospitality. Some Rest House Keepers were great raconteurs sometimes drawing the long bow.

This Rest House is now no more, having gone in the tsunami. I have a small beach house in Panditivu, North Vakarai. This note is based on my observations of the fishing in the sea in front of my place and along the beach.

The observations were made during my many visits to Vakarai culminating in a week-long stay there. The bay is one of the many bays between Batticaloa and Trincomalee. This bay is called Panditivu and so is a small island located close to the shore. The island is called Panditivu because long ago it is supposed to have been covered in thick jungle and many wild pigs lived there.

North of Panditivu is Murukkantivu and south, in another bay, is Kandalady, Sallithivu or Panichankerni. The southern part of the Vakarai bay and the northern part of the Kandalady bay have been left for the fisherman using throw nets. No other type of fishing is allowed. There are many ways in which fish are caught in different parts of Sri Lanka. Fishing is carried out in fresh water, brackish water and in the sea.

Fish are caught for sport, subsistence and for commercial purposes. There is fishing that is done with rod and reel, both from the land or standing in the water or by boat. Fish are caught with a net both from a boat or whilst standing in the water. Trolling, which is trailing a hook or hooks from a moving boat, is another type of fishing. This is done mainly in the sea. The men in the Weligama area stand on a wooden stilt fixed in the sea and catch a particular species of fish. The last is where a large net is laid in the sea and hauled in by a group of men standing on the shore.

Many of the people living along the coast and on the borders of the large Vakarai lagoon indulge in fishing for their income. The prawns and fish in the lagoon are caught by the people of the area. Those living along the coast in Vakarai are employed by the big businessmen who use drag nets or MaDel to catch fish. Some of these are local businessmen and many others come from the west coast when the south-west monsoon is on and fishing there is impossible.

There are three types of fishing practiced here. One is where two people go in a boat in the shallow seas, lay a net and catch the fish that they drive into the net.

Another method is where a group of about five boats catch fish as a group.

In both methods of fishing mentioned so far, there are only two men in each boat. The groups of boats go out into the deep sea and after laying the net, the boats are brought closer and closer to each other, trapping the fish in the net.

After the fish are collected in their boats by the fishermen in both systems of fishing, the process is continued. Most of those who fish by boat here are from Ottamavadi which is a town adjoining Valachenai.

The third method of fishing is with the use of a Madela. Madel fishing is said to be the oldest method of fishing in Sri Lanka. This method is in operation on the beach in Vakarai and other beaches. A boat goes spreading the net in a systematic manner. Aniamanda is the part of the net that is on the left hand looking out to sea. This is loaded first onto the boat. Then the middle part of the net called Madiya is then loaded and finally the Avaramanda which is the right hand side.

The boat then leaves the shore, dropping the net as it goes along.

The first part of the net to be dropped is the Avaramanda then, at the apex of the net, which is a semi circle, the Madiya is laid. Then the boat returns to shore whilst dropping the Aniamanda. There are stones or bricks, about two kilos in weight, tied about ten feet apart, right along the bottom of the net. This is to make sure that one part of the net sinks. The top end of the net has small buoys to help keep the net afloat. The two ends of the net have a strong rope about forty feet long. This is for the two gangs of men to start dragging in the net.

When drawing the net, the men holding the rope are positioned about ten feet apart, one behind the other. They draw the net in one motion. Then whilst dragging the rope the last man coils the rope they have drawn so far and comes to the front of the line and so the process of dragging the net goes on. The drawn rope is piled up carefully to be conveniently used the next time. When the process of drawing the net starts the two rows of men are about 50 to 60 feet apart. Little by little the two rows move towards each other and finally are together when the net comes ashore.

The Department of Fisheries gives out, for a fee, divided parts of the beaches for fish mudalalis to engage in MaDel fishing. This is on an annual contract. They are the only people who can catch fish in the sea within the demarcated lines. Most times the 'franchise holder' leases out his franchise to another person to catch fish there.

At least 15 men are needed on each side to drag the net back. It is easier if there are more men in the line. The Madela is thrown out and dragged in twice a day. The whole process takes close to two hours. Sometimes when there are plenty of fish to be caught, the net is thrown a third time for the day. Each person is paid Rs.500/- per day for drawing the net twice for the day. He is paid Rs. 600/- if the net is dragged in three times for the day. The group operating on the Vakarai beach have brought 15 men from Chilaw to help in the operation, since they cannot depend on the locals to come for work consistently.

The person in charge of the whole operation is called Man Rala and is a very experienced person, who has a thorough knowledge of the methodology of this type of fishing. He is up with the market changes for fish sales, repairs to and operation of the nets etc.

Many species of fish that are caught off the shores of Vakarai. Some of them are, using the Sinhala name first; Salayas, (E) Gold Striped Sardinella (Sardinella gibbosa) and Sudayas, (E) White Sardinella (Sardiunella albella). These two species look alike and are about the same size.

However the Sudaya is flat and the Salaya is fattish and round. The Salaya gets caught in the MaDela but the Sudaya is caught in calm waters when a special net is fixed to the MaDela.

Kumbalawa, (E) Indian Mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta). This fish is caught if they come within the MaDela range.

On my visit recently, even though the seas were fairly rough, the fisherman were out in their boats at night catching Kumbalawas.

Ata Nagul Paraw (E) Jack (Caramx ignobilis).

What is caught here are the yellow paraw, which come periodically in shoals. Their tails are yellow and the rest of the body also has yellow. These fish live in the rocks that are below sea level. Once in they cannot get out of the MaDela Gineti Paraw (E) Yellow-tailed Scad (Atule mate). They are small fish about 6-8" long. They are not caught regularly. These fish also live among the rocks. If something that they can feed on attracts them, they pursue it and get trapped in the net.

Seelawa or Geelawa (E) Barracuda (Sphyraena jello)

The Seelawa is small but the Geelawa is a little bigger. This is the smaller of the species. When it grows bigger to about 1 1/2 feet it is referred to as Mauli. When bigger than that it is called Ulawa and the largest is the Kandarella.

Karalla (E) Splendid Pony Fish (Leiognaathus splendens)

These fish are caught almost daily in small numbers, a basket or two at a time. There are three different Kerallas - Katu Keralla, Thel Keralla and Mas Keralla. Each of these look different.

Anjila and Thora (Scomderonorus commerson).

Narrow Barred Spanish Mackerel. An Anjilla over 3 1/2 and 4 inches long is called a Thora. They generally come in with the Salayas.

The Salayas and the Hurullas (E ) Trenched Sardinella (Amblygaster sirm) are the bait that attracts them. They are caught regularly but not in large numbers. Some are big fish weighing about four kilos. At the moment these fish are not caught. They may have moved off.

Atawalla (E) Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis). This fish is caught rarely since its movements are dependent on the weather and conditions of the sea.

Hurulla (E) Trenched and Spotted Sardinella (Amblygaster sirm) These fish are caught fairly regularly but in small numbers. This maybe because they are prey of the Anjila and Thora.

Halmessa (E ) Sprats or Hurullas (E ) Trenched Sardinella (Amblygaster sirm) Anchovy (Anchovy stolephorus) These fish are caught in substantial numbers. There is a small net that is attached to the MaDela specially to catch sprats which are small in size.Sometimes fishermen from Lanka Patuna, which is another bay north of Vakarai, come to fish in the Panditivu beach.

They arrived on the Panditivu beach when I was there. Lanka Patuna is famous as the place where Prince Danta and Hemamala brought the sacred Buddha tooth relic to Sri Lanka. It was hidden in Hemamala's hair.

The Lanka Patuna fisherman specialise in catching rays. The common species of rays that fall into their nets are Weli Maduwa (E) String Ray (Dasytis Sp), Anga Maduwa and Ali Maduwa (E) Manta and Devil Rays (Mobula Sp), Sangosa and Mukkara Maduwa.

Occasionally Tith Maduwa ( E) Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari) also get caught. Groups of rays move about a lot and these fishermen also follow their movements. This group, from Lanka Patuna fished off the Vakarai beach for one and a half months and moved on with the movement of the rays. Whilst here they caught a substantial amount of rays. Rays are also get caught, though in much smaller numbers, in the MaDel.

Anthony Fernando of Chilaw, who is the Man Rala, or person in charge of the whole fishing operation on the Vakarai beach, said that one of the main problems that they now face is the reduction in the number of fish in the waters that they operate in. He said that most of the fish live and breed in and around the rocks in the sea.

The illegal dynamiting of these fish kills not only the big fish but the fingerlings as well. The eggs too are destroyed. The dead fish are all collected in a small net, about 1/2" or 1" in size. As a result a reduced number of fish are able to grow to maturity.

Their complaints to the authorities and the law enforcement agencies have fallen on deaf ears.

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