The tsunami impact was most severe in the fisheries sector with an estimated one-third of affected households engaged in fishing activities. Consequently, fisher folk attracted the attention of humanitarian relief agencies. One year later much questioning arises on over-fishing risks that come with this unprecedented humanitarian gesture.

Reverend Father Sritharan Sylvester, director of Caritas EHED in Batticaloa, answers questions on the chosen approach to relieving fishermen without further harming the environment in this politically sensitive region, most violently hit by the tsunami.

What were the main challenges in the fisheries sector?

Assessment of needs in number of boats and fishing gear was the main challenge from the very first days after tsunami. There was a fear non-governmental organizations had made too many orders, so we chose to wait and see in order to avoid duplication. We started assessing needs in terms of boats from May, the time when most vessels had been delivered by other aid agencies.

Secondly, coordination with NGOs and local authorities proved difficult. Many fishermen were not on official registrar; therefore government listings did not fit the reality of the ground. For the first six months, Caritas EHED worked on collecting and verifying information.

Finally, the eastern region is war-torn and frequent violence outbursts have impaired program implementation since the November elections. EHED works with all ethnic communities and for instance, if a killing occurs in the Muslim community, we call back our staff and put projects on hold.

The situation is assessed on a day-to-day basis and is an ongoing constraint on post-tsunami reconstruction.

Why boats are left unused on the shores?

Recent reports on tsunami reconstruction state the number of boats in Ampara now exceeds pre-tsunami levels, but the situation is more complex. We have been working with communities for many years. Our field workers are often members of these communities and represent a great source of grassroots information. They point out misdistribution rather than over-supply.

As a response, EHED distributes boats together with nets and engines because it makes sense and allows fishermen to go to sea upon delivery. This integrated approach is not common practice.

In addition, the surge in demand for engines and nets of all types caused short-supplies and delays; that explain why some boats are still lying around on the coast.

What steps does Caritas take to prevent an over-fishing situation?

EHED has expertise in providing relief and restoring assets. It started with the 1978 cyclone and went on from 1983 onwards when the civil war erupted. We therefore strongly rely on our experienced community workers who, as accurately as possible, collect, assess and address needs at grassroots level.

We are also very keen on coordinating with the local fisheries department and fellow NGOs, with which we regularly meet in order to share and cross-check information.

Moreover, when providing nets we take regional habits into consideration. We have distributed specially designed prawn nets together with petromax lamps, allowing prawn fishermen to go back to the lagoons and fish at night.

As a general rule, we ensure nets are not tight-meshed, which prevents catching of smaller fishes.

What other environmental issues have you tackled?

The tsunami was followed by a political decision on a non-constructible buffer zone along the coast. EHED decided to replant coconut trees in the Batticaloa district on a coast strip 8 kilometers-long.

The buffer zone policy was later changed and we had to contemplate extraction of the trees. But, beneficiaries whose permanent house is to be rebuilt on that strip pointed out they would happily keep them.

What are the priorities for the next year?

In terms of fisheries, we wish to increase collaboration with fishing societies. Implementing programs through cooperatives strengthens fisher folk and allows sustainable development.

We are also planning on putting the accent on organic agriculture with the distribution of seeds to allow new diversified plantation.

These livelihood programs are fully integrated to our permanent shelter reconstruction projects. We work with entire villages and make efforts in rehabilitating their means of making a living as well as their habitat in the objective of making them less vulnerable to future disasters whether natural, man-made or contextual.