Let us Proudly Commemorate International Year of Small Scale Fisheries & Aquiculture - 2022

People’s commission for policy proposal gathering for sustainable inland fisheries

 Gathering the proposal from Inland and lagoon fishers

The people commission was organized to take the proposals of inland and lagoon fisher communities in order to prepare sustainable inland fisheries policy with the purpose of engaging with sustainable fisher industries in the country on 28 of September 2020 at Aliyapola hall in Munnakkaraya, Negombo.

The people commission was organized to take the proposals of inland and lagoon fisher communities in order to prepare sustainable inland fisheries policy with the purpose of engaging with sustainable fisher industries in the country on 28 of September 2020 at Aliyapola hall in Munnakkaraya, Negombo. The first session of the commission was designed to gather information from fisher communities toward to sustainable fisheries industry. It identified the issues of the inland and lagoon fisher communities as well as origination of inland and lagoon fishing, important of contributing into the sustainable fisheries industry, strategy for developing the both sections and related policies were discussed in the first part of the commission.

As well as, it allocated time to identify and prioritize the issues which are facing lagoon and inland fishers and it discussed the way of including the particular issues into the fisheries policy. There were some group discussions under the themes of sustainable usage of resource, co- management, strengthen the participatory governance, increase the fisher production, and increase the job opportunities, compensation and tenure rights in the first part of the event.    

Discussion with the government officers:

The second part of the commission had been planned to discuss with the government officers in order to get the views of the government officers who have connection with fisheries sectors. There were some officials such as Grama Niladari, journalists, members of local government, representatives from Lagoon development authority and Divisional Secretariat Office, Fisheries Office and two Public Health Inspectors. The government related representatives involved to the discussion highlighting the issues of the fisheries sector in the area. There was a progressive discussion toward to enhancing the sustainable fisheries policy.

Professor Uapali Amarasingha of University of Kelaniya, Professor Kularathne, University of Kelaniya, Lawyer Prabashini Padmasiri participated as the commissioners. Nalaka Rosairo, Advocacy and Policy Studies and Priyankara Costa, Training and animation officer coordinated the event representing National Fisheries Solidarity Movement.

Around 30 participants participated in the program which was organized in order to gather information for the sustainable fisheries policy. Herman Kumara, National Convener of National Fisheries Solidarity Movement also participated in the program.  The program was organized by the Sri Vimukthi Fisher Women Organization and Subashini Kamalanadan, District Coordinator participated in the program.