The impact of the TSUNAMI of 26 th December 2004 on the Fisheries Sector:

1. The impact of the TSUNAMI of 26th December 2004 on the Fisheries Sector: Socioeconomic Impacts Oscar Amarasinghe University o Ruhuna

2. Damages to the fisheries sector- Property • Fisheries harbours (CFHC) 1,441 m • Cold rooms/ice plants/equipment (CFC) 2,146 m • Damages to NARA 348 m • Damages to NIFNE 186 m • Damages to CCD 555 m • Damages to DFAR 132 m • SUB TOTAL 4,808 m • Destroyed and damaged houses 25,940 m • Destroyed and damaged crafts/gear 8,268 m • SUB TOTAL 34,208 m • TOTAL 39,016 m (39 billion)

3. Loss of Income Total Loss of Income – Annual = Rs. 1,886 m Total Loss of Income – Daily = Rs. 5.19 m

4. Drop in Fish Production Estimates of Coastal and offshore fish production • We are now producing only 28% of what we produced before the Tsunami • Drop in Fish Supply-Consumers suffer • However, there is a drop in demand which has temporarily managed this deficiency

5. Loss of Employment

6. For each fisher, there are about 5 persons providing auxiliary services Loss of employment(supporting services) • For 45,128 fishers, there are 225,640 people providing auxiliary services Fish merchants Fish vendors Suppliers of fuel & ice Fish Processors Therefore the total number of fisheries-dependent population having lost their means of living amount to 45,128 + 225,640 = 270,768

7. Loss of Dwellings and Displacement

8. Loss of lives • No. of deaths = 7,222 • What is the social cost of this loss? IMMENSE Statistical Value of life (loss of productivity) The present value of all future incomes earned by an average Sri Lankan with an average age of 40 yrs and expected to work for another 15 yrs would be about Rs. 600,000. In that sense the statistical vale of lives lost would be Rs. 4,333 m But people are not only production agents They are fathers, brothers, sons, friends, kinsmen, etc. Therefore the sentimental value of people is very high and cannot be measured in monetary terms

9. What can be done • Short Term Measures • Replacement of lost crafts, engines and gear • Repairing damaged crafts • Provision of houses (temporary). • Provision of facilities (ice, marketing) • Long Term Measures • Implementation of coast conservation measures • Permanent Houses • Development of facilities (harbours, anchorages, cold rooms, ice plants, Research and training: NARA, NIFNE • Disaster preparedness • Warning systems

10. Danger of overexploitation of coastal resources • Likelihood of overestimation of crafts, engines and gear losses. • Danger of increased fishing effort on coastal fisheries

11. C C MSY MSY TC TC MEY MEY OAE OAE TR TR e3 e3 e1 e1 e2 e2 0 0 E E Rekawa Hambantota West MSY = 349 t Emsy =7690 MSY = 437 t Emsy =9108 MEY = 284 t Emey =4386 MEY = 343 t Emey =4877 Actual=347 t Eactual=7055 Actual=297 t Eactual=3827

12. Sensitive areas can be identified on the basis of institutional strength

13. Distribution of crafts and gear • In the process of issuing crafts, engines and gear, get the participation of well functioning and strong fisher organisations, if such exist. If fisher organisations are weak, do not place high reliance on their recommendations. • Get peoples participation in deciding beneficiaries (to minimize informational asymmetries) • Commence registration of all crafts and gear. Only such crafts should be allowed to fish.

14. 3. Why replace with same crafts and gear • The possibility now exists to shift some of the coastal fishermen to less-exploited offshore and deep sea sectors The draft National Fisheries Policy too identifies the need to shift people from coastal to other less exploited fisheries

15. Settlements: The 100 m zone • Existing no-built zones (1997 CCD Plan) • The new 100 m rule WHY??? • A no-built zone itself will not provide protection against Tsunami • It is likely to be a coast conservation measure (will be of value only if such measures are planned. Danger of ending up this zone in the hands of hoteliers)

16. Implications of the 100 m zone for fisheries • Is it true that fishermen have to live within the 100 meter zone? • Not necessarily, if facilities to keep engines and gear are provided, and if access to the beach is not made difficult. • Examples: Rekawa, Kalametiya, Godawaya (Hambantota District) • There are also many non-fisheries interests in the march against the 100 m zone

17. Settlements: Major Issues • Access to the beach – to be made easy • Social disruption (severance of communities, social groups, ethnic and kin groups)-ensure minimum disruption (People’s Participation) • Organisation of fishing activities • Beachseining – use labour in cooperation Nets are laid when a shoal is located. Therefore, they should live close to the shore. Therefore, settle them close to the shore (elevated houses) OR provide them with crafts to exploit deeper waters • Reduce Labour time lost on travelling • Ensure safety of gear • Ensure Safety of People (location of houses & type of houses)

18. Types of houses • Urban (flats) (elevated houses?) –Problem is greatest here • Rural (single storey houses)-think of safety (think of elevated houses based on contour mapping) • Evacuation plan (evacuation routes, locations, traffic control plans) • Install disaster warning system

19. Deficiencies • The Sri Lankan administration does not have the required capacity and the skill to handle the present crisis. • Although fisheries is the major sector affected, the Minister of Fisheries is not a member of the national or regional disaster management committee!!! • The administration is moving at a slow pace, where as the needs are very urgent and need fast action. The possibility of contracting with boat yards in foreign countries (ex.South Indian) has not been probed yet (SIFFS is a possibility). • Donors need proposals (concrete project proposals at different levels) in a matter of one or two days and the administration is unable to cater to this need. • A number of donor agencies, foreign teams, NGOs are working independently, without consulting the relevant authorities. • Most of the funds are channeled through NGOs (they have their own agenda , utter wastage of funds by distributing goods not required by Tsunami victims, use of funds to build their own strength, missionary work, duplication of work (too many fishing crafts and gear are distributed), etc. etc.

20. The participation of local scientific community in reconstruction and rebuilding remains very low. • Even the 100 meter rule is only a cabinet decision (which cannot be enforced). • When the victims are not provided with permanent houses, they are compelled to rebuild their houses in the 100 m zone (what is the alternative??) • There are a large number of victims who want to shift to alternative locations of their choice (they do not want to shift to houses provided by the state; they belong to the upper middle class). • Most of the plans for reconstruction and rebuilding were based on the fact that, a Tsunami takes place once in thousands of years. The Tsunami warning of 28th of March 2005 disproved this. Therefore, fresh plans may have to prepared.