Present status of stake net (Kattudel) fishery in Chilaw lagoon, Sri Lanka.

Abstract

Stake net or “Kattudel” fishery is a traditional lagoon fishing technique that is used to catch shrimp that migrate to the sea from the lagoon. The present study evaluates the status of socio-economic, fisheries, and management strategies adopted by the stake net fishers in Chilaw lagoon. Primary data on the socio-economic conditions and management strategy were collected using standard ethnographic methods; semi-structured interviews, participant observations, focus group discussion, and key informant interviews. Concurrently, catch data were gathered in-situ at a stake net operating site in Chilaw lagoon over a period of two months. A total of 355 fishers were members of the stake net fishery society in Chilaw. The vast majority (69%) of fishers in the community were above 50 years of age and 62% of the fishers had more than 15 years of experience in stake net fishing. Shrimp formed 71.21% of the total harvest of stake net fishers. Three shrimp species; Penaeus indicus, Penaeus monodon, and Metapenaeus dobsoni were predominant in the harvest. Mean Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) was significantly different (p<0.05) for these targeted species. The sole authority to control the Common Pool Resources was vested in the community organization. Fishing rights were vested as primary rights. Locally crafted rules and evolved norms were used to address the excludability problem and substractability problems by the stake net fishers and fisher society in Chilaw lagoon. The SWOT analysis for the fishery reveals a vivid picture of the potentiality of the stake net fishery in Chilaw lagoon. Results affirm that stake net fishery in Chilaw lagoon is a community-based fisheries management system, through which the stake net fishers play a key role in managing the fishery sustainably.