Experiences With Fish Aggregating Devices In Sri Lanka - BOBP/WP/54

WORKING PAPERS - BOBP/WP/54

Experiences With Fish Aggregating Devices In Sri Lanka

by
K.T. Weerasooriya
Scientific Officer, National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA), Colombo

Executing Agency: FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Funding Agency: SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

Development of Small-Scale Fisheries in the Bay of Bengal. Madras, India, January 1987

Table of Contents

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PREFACE

This paper discusses the experiences of the small-scale fisheries project of the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) with fish aggregating devices (FADs) in Sri Lanka from 1982 to 1986.

A pilot activity was initiated in 1982-83 to design, construct, deploy and monitor a few FADs in order to test their feasibility in Sri Lanka’s small-scale fishery.
It was implemented in cooperation with the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) of the Government of Sri Lanka. A BOBP consultant, Mr. Charles Peters, worked on the project for six months during this period. The results and analysis for 1982-83 are based on interim reports prepared by Mr. Charles Peters, Mr. S.L. Suraweera (NARA Scientific Officer) and Mr. D.T Mendis (NARA Research Assistant).

From 1983 end, the project was supervised by the author with assistance from Mr. S.S.C. Pieris, NARA Research Assistant. Technical advice was provided by Mr. G. Pajot, BOBP Senior Fishing Technologist.

The BOBP’s small-scale fisheries project began in 1979. It is funded by the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA) and executed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It covers five countries bordering the Bay of Bengal — Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. It is a multidisciplinary project, active in fishing craft, fishing gear, coastal aquaculture, extension, information and development support. The project’s main goals are to develop, demonstrate and promote appropriate technologies and methodologies to improve the conditions of small-scale fisherfolk in BOBP’s member countries.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WORKING PAPERS - BOBP/WP/54pdf

1. INTRODUCTION
2. IMPLEMENTATION
3. MATERIAL AND METHODS

3.1 FADs and their deployment
3.2 Defects in the FADs
3.3 Cost of FADs
3.4 Monitoring

4. RESULTS
5. DISCUSSION

5.1 Species composition
5.2 Catch rates
5.3 Duration of FADs
5.4 Time taken for aggregation of fish
5.5 Involvement of fishermen

6. CONCLUSIONS


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