Abstract:
Even though small-scale fisheries throughout the globe are based on local ecological knowledge (LEK),
it is often not involved in the decision-making process. An attempt is made to review the potential of
using LEK of traditional coastal fisher communities in Sri Lanka and self-governing institutions in
managing fisheries commons sustainably. Fisheries management in Sri Lanka is mainly a top-down
system through the state legislation, while many fishing communities still maintain some level of informal
or traditional management systems. The traditional community-based fisheries management (CBFM)
systems in coastal fisheries of Sri Lanka, which are essentially based on LEK of fisher communities,
hold long history from several decades to centuries. In active fisheries, i.e., beach seining and stilt
fishing, traditional fishers accurately use LEK for day-to-day fishing activities for predicting harvests
before operating the fishing gear. Long-term viability of beach seining, stilt fishing, brush park fishing,
kraal fishing and stake net fishing systems in coastal fisheries of Sri Lanka confirms that CBFM systems
in coastal fisheries provide better economic and livelihood standards for fisher communities. Empirical
studies confirm that the coastal fisher communities manage fisheries commons through self-governing
institutions through which the property rights are vested to fisher communities averting the common
pool dilemma. This synthesis confirms that fishers’ LEK is an integral part of CBFM systems of coastal
fisheries, which strengthen the collective action of the fishers, and is invaluable for sustaining the
CBFM systems for the long run. It is clear that CBFM systems governed through robust customary
institutions and evoked by traditional authority and LEK of fishers are vital for the sustainability of the
coastal fisheries. In conclusion, CBFM systems and LEK can be hailed as smart management options,
which can be an alternative to centralized fisheries management in Sri Lanka.
