UCA News
Contribute

Sri Lankan fisherfolk say erosion is due to Chinese port development

The area being impacted is dotted with centuries’ old fishing communities
Sri Lankan fisherfolk say erosion is due to Chinese port development

Fishermen rallied against sea erosion due to Chinese - Port City on the International Fisheries day at Basiyawatta in Negombo. Fisher women, clergy, environmentalists, human rights activists and civil society group gathered on Nov. 26. (ucanews.com)

Published: December 01, 2017 10:18 AM GMT
Updated: December 01, 2017 10:19 AM GMT

 

Sri Lankan fisherfolk backed by Catholic priests and nuns are pressing ahead with protests against a multi-billion dollar port development amid worsening erosion allegedly caused by dredging.

A Nov. 26 demonstration heard that dredging of sand for the Chinese dominated mega-project continues to violate environmental regulations.

The gathering was in Negomo, on Sri Lanka’s west coast about 35 kilometers from the capital, Colombo.

The area being impacted is dotted with centuries’ old fishing communities.

The anti-project rally and an accompanying march also marked Word Fisheries Day, which officially fell on Nov. 21.

Complaints were voiced that several million dollars provided for so-called fishermen’s "support programs" by government authorities on behalf of the project was an attempt to split communities and stifle opposition.

Aruna Roshantha, a fishermen’s trade union leader, said loans and other benefits under the program were accompanied by pressure on critics to stop complaining about environmental damage.

Roshantha said that the result of a villager removing a small amount of beach sand in plastic containers was a fine of a few hundred dollars.

But he noted that the Chinese developers are dredging 70 million cubic meters of sand for their project.

“The result is no fish and no livelihood for fishermen,” Roshantha said.

The developers reject the claimed impact on fish stocks, citing an investigation carried out by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency.

They said this research showed there were no fish breeding grounds, including coral reefs, in the areas being dredged.

The protest gathering at Negombo included fisherwomen, clergy, environmentalists, human rights activists and civil society groups.

Fishermen fear their coastal catches of mainly small fish will be drastically reduced.

Villagers rely on small fish as an affordable protein source as larger deep-water fish are mostly exported to Europe and elsewhere.

They fear that in future they will have to rely on cheap, low-quality tinned fish.

Opponents of the project also link the sand mining to coastal erosion.

According to fishermen around Negombo, the sea has inundated approximately 20 meters of land, resulting in two fishermen's houses being completely washed away and another seriously damaged.

A piggery and small poultry farm had also been washed away, they said.

Campaigners against the port believe the erosion is directly linked to the on-going dredging.

Catholic rights’ activist Sister Noel Christine Fernando said destruction of the coastal environment had become clearly visible.

She noted that women are emerging as the backbone of the anti-port project campaign.

Help UCA News to be independent
Dear reader,
Lent is the season during which catechumens make their final preparations to be welcomed into the Church.
Each year during Lent, UCA News presents the stories of people who will join the Church in proclaiming that Jesus Christ is their Lord. The stories of how women and men who will be baptized came to believe in Christ are inspirations for all of us as we prepare to celebrate the Church's chief feast.
Help us with your donations to bring such stories of faith that make a difference in the Church and society.
A small contribution of US$5 will support us continue our mission…
William J. Grimm
Publisher
UCA News
Asian Bishops
Latest News
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia
UCA News Catholic Dioceses in Asia