Sri lankan fisheries sector at a glance 2

Sri Lankan Fisheries sector at a glance

Premasiri [email protected]

Sri Lanka has considerable fisheries potential in offshore/deep sea, inland fisheries and aquaculture.

Fisheries sector contributes around 1.3% to GDP in 2012

employs over 650,000 people directly and indirectly through related activities.

The fishery sector in Sri Lanka provides direct employment to 262,530 active fishers engaged in both marine and freshwater fisheries and aquaculture.

Fisheries sector at a glance

A further 277,470 people are indirectly engaged services and marketing, in coastal communities around the country.


Sri Lankan seafood companies exported over 18,000 t of seafood products, equivalent to almost 4% of Sri Lanka’s total marine and coastal fish landings and coastal aquaculture production (417,200 t) in 2012


The ‘year on year’ total value of Sri Lankan seafood exports grew by 10% in 2012, generating revenues in excess of US$ 206 million (LKR 26,363 million).


Fresh and frozen finfish products account for the majority of Sri Lankan seafood exports in terms of both quantity (70%) and value (71%).


Quantity of Sri Lankan fish products exported in 2011.Source: Ministry of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources

Value of Sri Lankan fish products exported in 2011. Source: Ministry of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources

Seafood Export DestinationsMember countries of the European Union (EU), Southeast and East Asia countries and member countries of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are the main destinations for Sri Lankan seafood products. EU countries, notably Italy, German, the United Kingdom, France, The Netherlands and Ireland, were important export destinations for Sri Lankan fresh fish products in 2011.


Exports of Sri Lankan crab products to NATFA countries increased by 140% in 2011

Sri Lankan crab products exported to the USA accounted for 40% of the total annual export earnings from Sri Lankan crab products in 2011, worth around US$ 6 million.


The fishery sector in Sri Lanka comprises offshore, coastal and freshwater fisheries, as well as coastal and freshwater aquaculture.

Total fish production in Sri Lanka was 575,200 t in 2012: 45% from offshore fisheries, 41% from coastal fisheries, 14% from freshwater fisheries and aquaculture.


Consumption of fresh fish and fish products provides Sri Lankans with over 60% of their nutritional protein requirement.

Annual per capita fish supply for consumption for 2012 was 14.5 kg. Employment, income, wealth and well-being are all products of the fishery sector in Sri Lanka.


4,080 fishing vessels, representing 8% the total Sri Lankan fishing fleet (53,270 vessels), were engaged in the offshore fishery sector in 2012. Offshore fishing vessels harvest fish using drifting gill nets, long lines or combination gears of gillnets and long lines.


The offshore fishing fleet operates from 20 harbors and around 30 anchorages along the Sri Lankan coast.

49,190 fishing craft, equivalent to 92% of the total Sri Lankan fishing fleet (53,270), were engaged in demersal and pelagic coastal fisheries in 2012.


The coastal fishing fleet operates from more than 1,000 small landing centers. 22,800 (43%) of coastal fishing craft were non mechanized traditional craft.


The freshwater fishery in Sri Lanka is dominated by introduced varieties of tilapia (Tilapia spp.,), with smaller catches of stocked Indian (i.e., catla, rohu, mrigal) and Chinese (i.e., common, bighead and grass) carps.


Tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon) are the main product of coastal aquaculture operations and Indian and Chinese carps are produced from freshwater aquaculture, mainly in small irrigation reservoirs.


All aspects of the fishery sector in Sri Lanka - participation, harvesting, post harvest processing and export - are managed in accordance with the regulations set out in the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Act, No. 2 of 1996 and subsequent amendments pertaining to the same.


Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Act include

The Registration of Fishing Boats Regulations (1996);The Fishing Operation Regulations (1996);Fisheries (Register) Regulations (1997)Fish Processing Establishment Regulations (1998)Fish Products (Export) Regulations (1998)The Mono-filament Net Prohibition Regulation (2006);The Lobster Fishing Operation Regulations (2009);The Local Fishing Boats (Life Jackets) Regulation (2008);Fishing Boats Safety (Design, Construction and Equipment) Regulations (2009);The Fishing Import and Export Regulation (2010) andThe Prohibition of Catching Thresher Shark (Kasa Mora) Regulation (2012)


fish provides 72 percent of the animal protein requirements of the Sri Lankan population.

The per capita fish intake of Sri Lanka has increased from 22 grams per day in 2009 to 45 grams per day now but it is still far below the target of 60gms/ day, based on WHO recommendations to prevent malnutrition.


The coastline of the country is 1,700 km.

Annual marine fish production is estimated 250 000 metric.tons. ( Current production 160,000 Mt)

Sri Lanka has 200 Nm exclusive economic

zone following 517,00 sq.km.


Share in the world export 0.2% Export income from fish sector USD 270 M 80% of the active fishers have attended

only primary schools.


State employment 5,000 Private sector employment 400,000

Sri lankan fisheries sector at a glance 2

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

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