Abstract:
Marine ornamental reef (MOR) fishery in Sri Lanka expanded to the commercial level only after the 1950 s.
Although MOR fishery is contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the country, studies are
scarce to assess the socio-economic status of fishers engaged in the fishery. The present study aimed to assess the
socio-economic development of MOR fisher communities in the Trincomalee district, which is considered a
hotspot for the MOR fishery in Sri Lanka through the lenses of the Human Development Index (HDI). Fisher
communities associated with reefs at Sampur, Pulmodai and Kuchchaweli in Trincomalee were comprehensively
studied focussing on full-time reef fishers (n = 90). Results indicated that the fisher income was several folds
higher than the minimum monthly wage of workers in the country (10,000 LKR, ≈50 USD). Higher income
gained by MOR fishers (30,000–300,000 LKR, ≈150–1500 USD) was conspicuously reflected by having high
human, physical and health capital, all of which resulted from high financial capital. Income showed slight
variations amongst communities based on the species being fished. Consequently, study communities held high
Schooling Index (SI), Health System Index (HSI) and Economic index (EI) all of which are modified sub-indices of
the common HDI. Human Development Index linked to Ornamental Fisheries (HDIOF) which is the weighted
sum of SI, HIS and EI shows a medium level development in the MOR fisher communities at Trincomalee. The
present study affirms that HDIOF is a promising indicator to elucidate the socio-economic status of the MOR
fisher communities in Sri Lanka.