We attended a group discussion yesterday at Kadolkele on issues related to Negombo Lagoon.
SVFWO organized the work and there were around 35 men and women gathered to Kadolkele community hall.
Number of issues were raised and people are desperately need the help from thye govt authorities to over come them.
However, people are totally frustrated with the auhores as they do not take any legal action against the destructive fishing, refilling of the lagoon, dump garbage to the lagoon which destroy fish and prawns in the lagoon.
The push nets, mono fillament nets, drag nets, disco nets and many other destructive fishing gears are using in the lagoon. The Lagoon Management Authority is the main responsible institution to prevent and take legal action on it with the departtment of fisheries.
However, people think the Lagoon Management Authority is highly corrupted and do not have a legal base as it was formed some thing around 4 years back. There was no democratic arrangement to form the authority and need to reform it urgently.
People who gathered at the meeting decided to meet the fellow fishers in the lagoon and discuss how to reform the lagoon Management authority cater to the needs of the lagoon fisher people.
Nalaka Rozairo, the Policy Studies coordinator of NAFSO, high lighted the research findings of the Inland fisheries sector, specifically Negombo Lagoon and many other lagoons in the country. One of the major issue besides what the people shared is that the poor leadership capabilities amongthe fisher people. So, he emphasized the necessity to have a committed and visionary leadership for the fisher people and urged to emerge from the community it self.
Some of the people volunteered to organize the above mentioned meeting on 23rd May at Negombo, lagoon Fisher people's Organization office at Pitipana at 3.00 pm.
Sri Vimukthi Women and Negombo lagoon fishers organization will collectively organize the meeting which will be the base for the uniting the fisher people in Negombo lagoon.