Let us Proudly Commemorate International Year of Small Scale Fisheries & Aquaculture - 2022

Voices of the Victims

Name: Weerasooriya Patabandige Gunasiri
Age: 4
Occupation: Fisherman
Adress: Hiththatiya Rajamaha Viharaya, Mathara

Family back ground:
Whife: Luxmi G. Punchi hewa
Age: 40

Children, Two sons and one daughter [died]


Before the tsunami:

From his boy hood Mr. Gunasiri is a fisherman. By the time the disaster was happened he had been carrying out this fishing job for 23 years. As well as Mr. gunasiri had built up a sound inveronment not to deped on others in any ways through that occupation. No: 110, Mathara, wellawtta, thotamuna, was his permanent address. He had a trip boat to length of 28 feet as a customary heritage of his father. an economic and living condition were very high standed of him. Not only that his ability was a perfect level to continue the education of both two children and to precede the living condition of his family as a perfect level. Actually the ma could be a great person among all the fishermen because he had got wide knowledge while he was fishing and having nice experience. Mr. gunasiri who had a special ability had got certificate having following perfect skipping training course at thangalla fisheries training center very successfully

After the Disaster.

They saved only their wearing cloths distorting all the properties they had built very hardly with a fraction of second. Theirs had daughter [Takshila] unfortunately left forever from them with the tsunami. Today they have become displaces with out any help form anyone and living an emergency shelters covered by tin sheets at the refugee camp in Hiththatiya which has been given by NGOS. Gunasiri wasn’t to get some thing from anyone but to day he is waiting for some thing from people. But it is not his will. We are the people who were not fallen by hearts before the tsunami. Why make us innocent? He asks….
While we were nothing even not getting a shadow. A temporary house was given by the [NGOS]. If they didn’t look after us today we are nothing on the roads. If not so could be joint the majority with the dead bodies.

Our government doesn’t have a mechanism or a plane even distributes relief for victims in a correct manner. Besides NGOS victims are not the actual beneficiaries for relief that distribute from the government. In many times other none affected people are benefiting from the government. to day we have caused to be as inheriting people it is very abject situation the government is plying their process before this disaster situation.
The 100 m buffer zone problem also another tsunami for fisher and affected people. Still a clear solution has not been presented. By now it took 6th months we have started to live remote areas out of the fishing lands than living in the coastal area. We can’t see the condition of the sea, nature of the sea, Because of that being traditional and the real fishermen we will be drifted apart from the fishing fields forever. We are not wiling to depend on the government and the country because we had been involving with our own encourage and strength in the fishing industry. We don’t like to be depending people forever. We are not familiar of that kind of lives. We pray for you direct us to the sea to fishing with our own encourages very soon. If we received our boats and fishing implements we are not waiting for the sweet housing dreams from the government.

This is theirs own voice. Let us see such encouraging lives should be established as well as a main responsibility of the government.