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The Demersal Fisheries Of Sri Lanka - BOBP/WP/41

Year of publication 1985

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages p.38

Author K. Sivasubramaniam & R. Maldeniya

Product type Project

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) This paper attempts to review the results of all the demersal fishery surveys carried out in Sri Lanka in the past, and to reassess the current status of demersal stocks in the light of the present level of exploitation. This is seen as a first step towards identifying development possibilities, management measures for demersal resources, and areas requiring future investigation. The investigations for this paper were carried out during 1982 by the small-scale fisheries project of BOBP (B ay of Bengal Programme) in active cooperation with NARA (National Aquatic Resources Agency). The paper sets out conclusions about the most productive belt for valuable resources, peak seasons, and the level of surplus yield. It suggests that the demersal fishery in the shelf area should be developed as a small-scale fishery, because rapid exploitation may destroy the resource. Development should be on an area wise basis, and capital investment based on surplus yield levels in each area. A com bination of fishing methods will be needed to fish the entire exploitable potential in most areas. Besides the bottom trawl, passive methods should be encouraged. The paper also evaluates the status of Sri Lanka’s demersal fishery, on the basis of a field survey at major fish landing sites over a period of two weeks in September 1982, conducted by 1 2 staff members of NARA; and on the basis of statistics compiled by the Ministry of Fisheries. The paper gives rough estimates of catch and catc h rates, species composition and annual demersal production in Sri Lanka. The BOBP’s experimental work on tapping Sri Lanka’s demersal resources is reported in other papers. BOBP/WP/6, BOBP/WP/16, and BOBP/WP/40 describe the findings of experiments with bottom longlines. Papers describing experimental work with fish traps and high-opening bottom trawls are under preparation.

Language English

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