REGIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN SOUTH ASIA (ADB RETA 5974)

Transcription

1 REGIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR COASTAL AND MARINE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN SOUTH ASIA (ADB RETA 5974) A SOCIO ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF THE PUTTALAM LAGOON AREA Sri Lanka Component Asian Development Bank IUCN - The World Conservation Union Sri Lanka MARCH 2003

2 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION.. 03 PART I : SOCIO ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF THE PILOT SITE 1. PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS ECONOMY OF THE PILOT SITE Fishing Fish production in the pilot site Fishing craft and gear Fish marketing Aquaculture Agriculture Animal Husbandry Industries SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES Transport facilities Health facilities Education facilities Postal and telecommunication service Non-governmental organizations.. 12 PART II 5. SOCIO ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SELECTED PROJECT SITES Methodology Sample survey Focus group discussions (FGD) Interviews Stakeholder workshop HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE AREA SOCIO ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT SITES Demography Social Network Politics Livelihood activities Livelihood assets Poverty Income Type of the house Ownership of land Indebtedness ECONOMY OF THE PROJECT SITES Fishing Fishing crafts and gear used in the project sites Fish production and marketing Agriculture

3 9. SOCIAL INFRA STRUCTURE AND SERVICES IN THE PROJECT SITES Transport facilities Health facilities Education facilities Drinking water Postal and telecommunication facilities Other services Religious institutions Non-governmental organizations functioning in the project sites MAJOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES PREVAILING IN THE PROJECT SITES Resource use conflicts Practice of destructive fishing methods Poverty Influx of fishermen and other resource users Non-availability of alternative employment opportunities Non-existence of competitive market for fresh and agricultural produce Politisisation of village level organizations.. 28 REFERENCES.. 29 ANNEX.. 30 List of Tables Table 1 Population in the pilot site.. 04 Table 2 Ethnic composition of the population.. 05 Table 3 Number of fishing families in the pilot site.. 05 Table 4 Main fishing clusters found in the pilot site.. 06 Table 5 Number of fishing crafts operated in the six fishing clusters.. 07 Table 6 Prices of shell fish at the fish landing centers of the pilot site.. 08 Table 7 Crop cultivated area in the Puttalam and Vanathawilluwa DS Division (in hectares).. 09 Table 8 Livestock in the Vanathawilluwa & Puttalam DS Divisions in Table 9 Livelihood activities of people in the three DS Divisions.. 11 Table 10 Population in the project sites.. 16 Table 11 Population in the project sites.. 16 Table 12 Livelihood activities of families in the sample.. 17 Table 13 Nature of ownership in livelihood assets.. 18 Table 14 Monthly income of the families (in Rs).. 19 Table 15 Status of the house owned by the families in the sample.. 19 Table 16 Land ownership of the families represented in the sample.. 20 Table 17 Amount of credit obtained by families (in Rs).. 20 Table 18 Fishing crafts operating in the project sites

4 1. INTRODUCTION Under the ADB-RETA Coastal Resources Management and Poverty Reduction Project, five High Priority Areas (HPAs) have been identified to study and formulate a strategy for the sustainable use of coastal resources and poverty reduction. The identified five HPAs are: Puttalam Lagoon Bentota Estuary Passikudah - Kalkudah Cluster Chilaw Estuary Gulf of Mannar (See annex 1 for details) Among the five HPAs, the Puttalam Lagoon has been selected as the pilot site where the coastal resource management strategy will be formulated and implemented at the first phase. Hence it required carrying out technical studies at the selected pilot site to determine and formulate the strategy that can be replicated in other four HPAs as well. A detail socio-economic assessment was one of the determined technical studies. Hence a socio-economic assessment was conducted in the site during December 2002 to February This report contains two parts of which part one presents the general socio-economic characteristics of the Puttalam lagoon (selected HPA) and the part two presents a detailed socio-economic assessment conducted in the selected pilot site (Coastal Gn Divisions of the Wanathvilluwa DS Division). The selected HPA covers the jurisdiction area of three Divisional Secretariat Divisions (DS) of the Puttalam District. These DS Divisions are Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam and Kalpitiya. The total land area of these DS Divisions is approximately sq.miles of which nearly one-third is coastal land. Among the three DS Divisions, Wanathawilluwa is the largest (274.3 sq.miles) while other two divisions encompass in a relatively small area i.e. 71 sq.miles in Puttalam and 36.3 sq.miles in Kalpitiya. There are 70 Grama Niladhari Divisions (GN) and 212 villages within this area. Fisheries, agriculture and aquaculture are the primary economic activities found in these villages. The community in the pilot site is heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity and religion. In ethnicity, the predominant groups are Moors, Sinhalese and Tamils. While in religion, the community is divided into four groups namely, Islamic, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus. All these ethnic and religious groups are found in most parts of the pilot site. Four coastal villages within the pilot site were selected to conduct a detail socio-economic assessment and implementing small-scale interventions of the project. These villages represent main socio-economic characteristics that are found in the pilot site. The selected villages/project sites are: Gangewadiya in the Aluth Eluwankulama GN Division Serakkuliya in the Serakkuliya GN Division Karativu in the Karativu (north) and Karativu (south) GN Divisions Pubudugama in the Samagipura GN Division All the four sites are situated in the coastal segment between Kala Oya (river) estuary and Mee Oya delta, which forms the western boundary of the Wanathawilluwa DS Division. 1 1 Prepared by R.M. Ranaweera Banda in association with IUCN 3

5 PART I: SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF THE PILOT SITE 1. PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS The pilot site covers the 68 km length coastal area of the Wanathawilluwa, Puttalam and Kalpitiya DS Divisions. A tropical climate with a uniform temperature ( C) and seasonal rainfall pattern is found in this area. The main factor influences for climatic variation in the area are the northeast and southwest monsoons. The southwest monsoon occurs from May to September while the northeast monsoon influences during October to December. These two monsoons bring rains to the area from April to May and November to December. The average monthly rainfall is 120mm. Much of the coastal area of the pilot site is fringed by mangrove swamps (3,385 ha) found along the shores of the Puttalam Lagoon, Dutch bay and Portugal Bay. This resource is extensively extracted for subsistence and commercial purposes at present. Other ecologically significant habitats found in the pilot site are salt marshes (1515 ha), sea grass beds, mud flats, coral reefs and seashore habitats. The Puttalam Lagoon, which has a surface area of 32,700 ha. is rich in fishery resources. Finfish and shellfish are the main fishery resources found in the lagoon and the associated coastal waters. The finfish species comprise of small pelagic, mackerels and flying fish while most common shellfish species found in the site include prawns, lobsters and crabs. Fishing activity in the pilot site is seasonal and the fishing season lasts from October to April. 2. DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS As shown in the records of the three DS divisions, there had been 168,106 persons in the pilot site in Of this number, nearly 10% were refugees from the war-affected areas of the Mannar and Vavunia Districts. Hence the present population in the pilot site comprises of refugees and permanent settlers. The natural population growth rate in the Puttalam District was 1.8, which is slightly higher than the national figure i.e. 1.2 given for the year The figures indicated in table 1 below shows the distribution of population in the three DS Divisions that falls under the pilot site. Table 1: Population in the pilot site DS Division No. Of persons No. Of families Vanathawilluwa Puttalam Kalpitiya Total Source: Resource Profiles-2002 This population consisted of both the refugees and the permanent settlers. According to the records, the number of refugees in the three DS Divisions was 27,042 in About 42.2% of the population was under the age of 18 years and accordingly; the majority of people in the pilot site are belonging to a young population. There are three major ethnic groups and four religious groups in the pilot site. Among these ethnic and religious groups, Moors are the majority. The ethnic composition of the population in the pilot site is given in Table 2 below. 4

6 Table 2: Ethnic composition of the population Ethnic group Wanathawilluwa Puttalam Kalpitiya Total Percentage Moors Sinhalese Tamils Others Total Source: Resource Profiles The religious groups in the pilot site comprise of Islamic, Christians, Buddhists and Hindus. Among the four groups, Hindus and Christians are concentrated in the coastal villages than interior. The Christian population developed in the area during the colonial rule, which lasted from the 16 th to mid 20 th century. It is not clear which ethnic or religious group was dominant in the Puttalam Lagoon area prior to the 16 th century, but according to the legends, Sinhalese were the people who first colonized the area. The Moors too had been living in this coastal segment from long ago as traders and agricultural producers but not as fishermen. The Tamils are in fact migrants came from the northern districts of Mannar and Vavunia. However, their engagement in fishing in this area was older than that of the Muslims. 3. ECONOMY OF THE PILOT SITE Fishing and agriculture are the most important economic activities in the pilot site. The fishing activity is primarily done in the lagoon and the associated coastal waters. The agriculture in the site comprises of cash crop cultivation and subsistence farming. Coconut, cashew and vegetable are the primary cash crops cultivated in the site. Among the subsistence crops that are cultivated in the pilot site, paddy, cassava, Indian corn, sesame are the most common ones. 3.1 Fishing Fishing is the most important livelihood activity of families in the pilot site. The actual number fishing families is difficult to find because of the incompatibility of figures given in different sources. For example, it was estimated to 9,677 households in the Puttalam/Mundal Estuarine System Report (1997) but according to the Resource Profiles of the three DS Divisions, the number of fishing families in the pilot site was 4,732 in The corresponding figure given the records of the District Fisheries Office is 1,217 families, which is far below than the number given in the Resource Profiles. However, although the available figures are incompatible, it can assume that more than 2000 families are securing their livelihoods from the fishery resources in the Puttalam Lagoon and the associated coastal waters. The following table shows the number of fishing families in the pilot site as given in the Resource Profiles of the three DS Divisions. Table 3: Number of fishing families in the pilot site DS Division No. Of families Percentage Wanathawilluwa Puttalam Kalpitiya Total Source: Resource Profiles

7 The figure given in the above table represents 5.7% of the total number of fishing families in the country i.e The present fishing population of the pilot site (4732) has been concentrated in 6 main fishing clusters that cover 16 villages. The details of these clusters are given in table 4 below. Table 4: Main fishing clusters found in the pilot site Cluster No. Of fishing families No. Of active fishermen Cluster Gangewadiya Eluwankulama Polmaduwa Cluster Serakkuliya (north) Serakkuliya (south) Cluster Kalladi Karativu Ordakal Karativu Palamkare Karativu Sudugala Cluster Karativu (south) Tirikkapallama Cluster Pubudugama Karandipooval Cluster Pookkulama Pallikkudah Kudiramalai Kollankanaththa Total Source: District Fisheries Office, Puttalama Among the 6 fishing clusters indicated in the above table, almost five are representing in the four project sites that have been selected for the detail socio-economic assessment and project interventions Fish production in the pilot site Systematic data for fish production in the pilot site are difficult to find and hence it was estimated on a rough calculation made based on the information collected from fishermen. According to the figures available at the District Fisheries Office, the total fish catch in the 6 fishing clusters situated within the pilot site was 102 MT in However, the Resource Profiles of the three DS Divisions indicate it as 816 MT for the same year. The estimated fish production figure i.e. 4,800MT, which is given in Dayaratne et.al. (1997), may be more realistic since the estimation was done after a scientific study conducted in the Puttalam/Mundal estuarine system. According to this study, finfish and shellfish are the main fishery resources of this estuarine system and they make up 74% and 26% respectively of the total fish production. As shown in the study, commonly harvested fish species in the site are prawns, shad (Nematalosa nasus), keeli shad (Hilsa keeli), gray mullet (Mugil cephalus), milkfish (Chanos Chanos), sardines (Sardinella spp) and pony fish (Leiognathus). 6

8 3.1.2 Fishing craft and gear According to the records of the District Fisheries Office, 481 fishing crafts were operated in the six fishing clusters in Among them, 255 (53%) were traditional crafts such as teppam and oru while the balance 226 (47%) were mechanized fiberglass boats. The distribution of fishing crafts operated in the six fishing clusters is given in table 5 below. Table 5: Number of fishing crafts operated in the six fishing clusters Cluster Cluster 1 Gangewadiya Eluwankulama Polmaduwa Cluster 2 Serakkuliya (north) Serakkuliya (south) Cluster 3 Kalladi Karativu Ordakal Karativu Palamkare Karativu Sudugala Cluster 4 Karativu (south) Tirikkapallama Cluster 5 Pubudugama Karandipooval Cluster 6 Pookkulama Pallikkudah Kudiramalai Kollankanaththa No. Of fishing crafts Although the District Fisheries Office shows the total number of fishing crafts operated in the pilot site as 481, it should be more than this number. According to the Resource Profiles of the three DS Divisions, the total number of fishing crafts operated in 2002 was This number includes both traditional crafts and the mechanized boats. However, a classification of the existing fishing crafts is found only for the Kalpitiya DS Division. According to it, the number of traditional and mechanized fishing crafts operated in the Kalpitiya DS Division in 2002 was 660 and 353 respectively. In their study, Dayaratne et. al. (1997) also indicate that the approximate number of fishing crafts in the site as 1600 which is somewhat close to the figure given in the three Resource Profiles. When taken into account the figures given in different sources, it can be assumed that 1500 to 1800 fishing crafts are operated in the pilot site at present. In a broad classification of fishing crafts operated in the pilot site, it can be said that approximately 50 % are traditional crafts. The most common fishing gear used by the fishermen in the pilot site is gill nets and trammel nets. These two types of fishing gear are not in fact destructive but the manner in which the fishermen use them are really destructive to the natural resources of the lagoon ecosystem. For example, encircling gill nets, purse seine, push nets and pull nets are destructive as far as the damage they make to the fish breeding grounds is concerned. Regulations are already introduced to control these destructive fishing methods but the effectiveness of enforcement is very low due to the lack of cooperation from the part of the fishermen. Push nets and pull nets are banned fishing methods but a large number of fishermen in the pilot site still use these methods despite of the ban. 7

9 3.1.3 Fish Marketing There are two types of fish marketing patterns in the pilot site viz. (a) sending or directing to the central fish market in Colombo, (b) Marketing within the area. The former pattern is followed with respect to shellfish such as prawns and crabs while latter pattern is relevant to the finfish. Puttalam and Kalpitiya (Kandakuliya) are the main fish collecting/landing centers found in the pilot site. Of the two, Kalpitiya is the center where well-organized marketing network is established. Most of the shellfish caught from the Puttalam lagoon are marketed at this center to the traders coming from Colombo. Meanwhile, part of this catch goes to exporters. The fish marketing mechanism in the site is operated through four levels of intermediaries who are at fish landing centers, fish collecting centers, wholesale centers and in retailing. Most of the finfish caught from the lagoon and associated coastal waters are used for local consumption. The prices of finfish vary considerably according to the size of the daily catch and seasonality. However, fixed prices are paid to shellfish especially for prawns and crabs. The following table indicates the prevailing prices of shellfish. Table 6: Prices of Shellfish at the Fish Landing Centers of the Pilot Site Variety /Grade Prawns Grade No.10 (50 grams or more) No.15 (20 50 grams) No.20 (15-20 grams) Mixed (less than 15 grams) Crabs Jumbo (more than 500 grams) Large ( grams) Medium ( grams) Low quality Source; Socio-economic survey 2003 Price per kg in Rs Although there are fixed prices for prawns and crabs, the fishermen in the area hardly get fair prices due to the nonexistence of competitive marketing system at fish landing centers. In some places, there exist a monopoly of one or two fish collectors and hence the fishermen in such places do not find an opportunity to sell their produce in on competitive prices Aquaculture Like lagoon fishery, aquaculture (shrimp farming) is an important economic activity in the pilot site. There is hardly any available recorded data regarding this economic activity and thus field investigations are necessary to provide a complete picture of aquaculture in the pilot site. However, according to the collected information from the secondary sources, there are 140 shrimp farms within the pilot site. The majority of them (94) are found in the Puttalam DS Division and the least number (4) is found in the Wanathavilluwa DS Division. The balance 42 are operating in the in the Kalpitiya DS Division. Apart from these registered shrimp farms, a large number of illegally operated farms exist in the pilot site. According to Dayaratne at.el. (1997), about 20% of shrimp farms operated in the Puttalam Lagoon area in 1994 were unauthorized farms and it had increased up to 50% in Accordingly, existing number of shrimp farms in the pilot site can be much higher than the official figure (140) given in the Resource Profiles. The number of ponds in a shrimp farm varies from 1 to 15 or even more, depends on size of the investment. However, in most of the farms operated in the pilot site have more than five ponds each. 8

10 The size of a pond also varies from ¼ acre to 1 acre. The present land area under shrimp farms is ha. in the three DS Divisions. Major problems caused by unplanned development of shrimp farm in the pilot site can be listed as follows; a) Destruction of mangroves b) Pollution of the lagoon as a result of discharging untreated water into the lagoon c) Pollution of surface water by application of nutrients and chemicals d) Accessibility problems due to encroachments of foot paths and canals that are leading to the lagoon e) Loss of gracing land for cattle f) Loss of flood retention areas Although aquaculture generates a fairly good income to the investors, the families in the pilot site have not benefited substantially from this activity. 3.2 Agriculture Agriculture is the second most important economic activity in the pilot site. The approximate number of agricultural families living in the pilot site was 6,919 in Their distribution in the three DS Divisions was as follows; Wanathavilluwa 912 Puttalam 1,223 Kalpitiya 4,784 About 22% of lands in the three DS Divisions are utilized for crop cultivation. According to the agricultural statistics given in the Resource Profiles of the three DS Divisions, the total cultivated area was 17,638 ha. in Of this area, about 8,230 ha. are in the Puttalam DS Division, 4,774 ha. in the Kalpitiya and the balance 4,634 ha. are in the Wanatahvilluwa DS Division. The two major cash crops cultivated in these lands are coconut and cashew. Table 7 shows the crop-cultivated area in the Puttalam and the Wanathavilluwa DS Divisions. Table 7: Crop cultivated area in the Puttalam and Vanathavilluwa DS Divisions* (In hectares) Crop Puttalam Vanathavilluwa Total Percentage Coconut Cashew Paddy Fruit Vegetables Mixed Crops Other Total Source: Resource Profiles * Figures for Kalpitiya DS Division are not available According to the figures given in Table 7, almost 55.7% of cultivated area in the Puttalam and Wanathavilluwa DS Divisions are under coconut. This area comprises of coconut estates and home gardens where the predominant crop is coconut. Although figures are not available for the Kalpitiya Ds Division, coconut is the major crop that is cultivated in the lands of this Division. The average annual harvest from coconut lands in the area has been estimated to 1,500 nuts per hectare but it varies according to the maintenance of the crop and fertility of the soil. 9

11 Paddy cultivation is not a predominant economic activity in the pilot site and it is practiced only in the Puttalam and the Wanathavilluwa DS Divisions. The area under paddy is only 9.2% of the total cultivated area in these two Divisions. Since there are not irrigation facilities in these DS Divisions, paddy cultivation is done from rainwater, especially during the northeast monsoon period i.e. from October to December. According to the paddy farmers in the area, the average yield per acre is about 45 bushels, which is far below the national average of 88 bushels. As indicated in Table 7, cashew, fruits and vegetables are the other agricultural crops cultivated in the pilot site. Wanathawilluwa is the predominant cashew cultivating area among the three DS Divisions and according to the figures in 2002; the total cashew cultivated area in this division was 800 ha. This crop is mostly cultivated in the middle-class land allotments (10-25 acres in extent) alienated during the 1970s. However, the crop is cultivated in the home gardens too, even though it is not systematically maintained. Vegetable cultivation is successfully done in the Kalpitiya DS Davison. Among the vegetables cultivated in this Division are Onions, Chili and Tomato. Availability of ground water at the surface level is the main advantage that exists in the Kalpitiya DS Division. Since this advantage is not for other two divisions, vegetable cultivation is done only during the rainy seasons. Irrigation water is the only option for agriculture in these two divisions but that facility so far has not provided. The agricultural producers in the Wanathavilluwa DS Division are requesting an irrigation scheme from a long time but it has not materialized. Their demand is the diversion of excess water of the Kala Oya to the area through an irrigation cannel. Well-Organized market for agricultural produce, especially for vegetables, is found only in the Kalpitiya DS Division. Hence much of the agricultural produce in the other two DS Divisions (other than coconut and cashew) goes for local consumption 3.3 Animal husbandry Other than fishing and agriculture, animal husbandry is also an important economic activity in the pilot site. However, the number of families engage in this activity is not very significant. According to the figures in 2002, the total number of families engaged in animal husbandry in the pilot site was 207. Main constraint for animal husbandry in the pilot site is the shortage of grazing lands. The following table shows the figures of livestock in the Wanathawilluwa and Puttalam Divisions. Table 8: Livestock in the Vanathawilluwa and Puttalam DS Divisions in 2002 Type Purpose Vanathavilluwa Puttalam Total Cattle Milk Good transport Agriculture Goats Milk Meat Sheep Meat Pigs Meat Poultry Eggs Meat Ducks Meat Source: Resource Profile-2002 It was revealed from the interviews that most of the lands previously used for grazing cattle are now converted to shrimp farms and hence potentials of animal husbandry in the area is very limited at present. 10

12 3.4 Industries Large-scale industries are not found in the pilot site. The Puttalam cement factory and two saltans, two coconut oil mills, one garment factory are the existing industries in the pilot site. Significant environmental impacts of the existing industries have not been reported but it is obvious that the cement factory causes air pollution in the area. Similarly, the extraction of dolomite for the cement factory from the vicinity of the lagoon also causes soil erosion, which contributes ultimately siltation problems of the lagoon. A considerable number of small-scale industries/enterprises also can be seen in the pilot site. These include metal workshops, garages, food processing enterprises and cashew processing enterprises. According to the information given in the Resource Profiles, 230 such small industries/enterprises are operated in the pilot site at present. About 15% of the population in the pilot site depends on these medium and small-scale industries. In summary, ranges of livelihood activities are found in the pilot site. Of them, fishing and agriculture are the predominant. Others include industries, trade, public and private sector employment, selfemployment and employment in foreign countries. Systematic data are not available for each of these sectors but figures given in the following table indicate the relative importance of them. Table 9: Livelihood activities of people in the three DS Divisions Livelihood activity Wanathawilluwa Puttalam Kalpitiya Agriculture Fishing Small business Foreign employment Public & private sector employment Masonry 143 Carpentry 98 Animal husbandry Cashew processing Transport 60 Mechanic Bakery 20 Garment 19 Brick making 09 Barber 06 Source: Resource Profile 2002 The figures in table 9 shows that fishing and agriculture are the two main livelihood activities in the pilot site. In addition to them, small industries, trade, foreign employment, public and private sector employment provide livelihood for a large number of persons in the pilot site. 4. SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES 4.1 Transport facilities Transport facilities in the pilot site are fairly good. The situation in the Puttalam DS Division is much better when compared with transport facilities in the Wanathawilluwa DS Division. The Colombo Puttalam, Anuradhapura- Puttalam, and Kurunegala Puttalam main roads traverse through this Division. In addition to them, the Puttalam-Colombo railway line also runs through this division. Therefore, people in the Puttalam DS Division have easy access to public transport facilities. The 11

13 transport facilities in the Kalpitiya DS Division are also satisfactory and public and private transport services are operated between Kalpitiya and Colombo. Hence the residents in the area have access to commercial and services centers located on the coastal belt between Puttalam and Colombo. However the situation of both transport infrastructure and transport services in the Wanathavilluwa DS Division are very poor. 4.2 Health facilities As far as the health facilities are concerned, the people in the pilot site have access to a number of health services centers. Puttalam base hospital is the main health services center in the area. In addition, one district hospital, six maternity and child care units, four dispensaries, one private hospital are located within the area that covers the pilot site. However, health facilities available in these centers are not quite satisfactory due to shortage of staff, scarcity of essential drugs and insufficient ambulance services. Water born disease and malaria are the common health problems found in the area. Non-availability of quality drinking water is the primary reason for water borne diseases. Lack of better sewage facilities and latrines are another health related problem that exist in the pilot site. 4.3 Educational facilities There are 59 government schools within the pilot site. Of them, facilities are available in eight schools for secondary education. The balance 51 schools are primary schools. One English medium school is also functioning in the Puttalam town. Shortage of teachers and inadequate infrastructure facilities such as buildings are the main problems in regarding the educational facilities in the area. 4.4 Postal and telecommunication service Postal and telecommunication services are provided to the area by 20 sub post offices located within the pilot site. The services of these sub post offices are coordinated by the main post office situated in the Puttalam town. In addition to these government post offices, a number of private telecommunication centers are operated in Kalpitiya and Puttalam towns. 4.5 Non-governmental organizations Several NGOs are functioning in the pilot site. Among them, most active organizations are Seva Lanka Foundation, Sarvodaya, Care International, World Vision, Rural Development Foundation, Agromart Foundation, Redbana, Forut and Vinivida. The services provided by these organizations are basically oriented to community development activities covering infrastructure development, water supply, strengthening of community groups, spiritual development, education, environmental protection, provision of credit and social mobilization and training There are six registered Fisheries Cooperative Societies in the pilot site but the only active society at preset is the St. Sebastian Fisheries Cooperative Society in Pubudugama. Other five societies are defunct due to internal divisions of the members and corruptions of the officebearers. 12

14 PART II 5. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SELECTED PROJECT SITES As mentioned in the introduction, four villages/project sites were selected four conducting a detail socio-economic assessment and implementing small-scale interventions of the project. The four selected project sites are; Gangewadiya Serakkuliya Karativu Pubudugama All the four sites are situated in the Wanathavilluwa DS Division and well represent the socioeconomic and ecologically significant characteristics of the pilot site. This section of the report discusses the socio-economic characteristics of these four sites. 5.1 Methodology The following categories of data and information were collected for the socio-economic assessment conducted in the project sites. a) Historical background b) Infrastructure facilities and services c) Demography d) Economy e) Social characteristics f) Livelihood activities and assets g) Income h) Resource use conflicts i) Other major socio-economic issues The above categories of data and information were collected from secondary and primary sources. Consulted secondary sources were the Resource Profiles, Records of the Grama Niladharies and records of the Fisheries Cooperative Societies. Primary data collected from empirical fieldwork. Several data collection techniques were used in the primary data collection. Those techniques were: a) Administering a questionnaire b) In-depth interviews c) Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) d) Semi-structured interviews e) Observations f) Stakeholder Workshops Sample survey A sample survey was conducted in the four project sites with the aid of a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 179 families that selected from among the key stakeholders in the project sites. The selection of families was done on random basis by using a sampling framework. However, it applied only for the sites where a dispersed population was found (i.e. Serakkuliya, Karativu north and Karativu south). Regarding the other sites, the entire families in Gangewadiya were interviewed and in 13

15 Pubudugama, all those who presented on the survey day were interviewed. The number of families represented in the sample from each project site was as follows; Gangewadiya 46 (including five families from (Eluwankulama) Serakkuliya 50 Karativu 50 Pubudugama 33 Total 179 The sample survey was useful to collect information on family composition, educational background, livelihood activities, income, ownership of assets and residency status of the families Focus group discussions (FGD) Six focus group discussions were conducted during the field data collection. The types of data collected from FGDs were resource use patterns, resource use conflicts, stakeholder characteristics, marketing, major socio-economic and environmental issues and historical background of the project sites Interviews Several in-depth and semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to gain better knowledge about resource use pattern, resource use conflict, poverty, infrastructure facilities and services, major socio-economic and environmental issues prevailing in the project sites Stakeholder workshop A stakeholder workshop organized at the Vanathavilluwa DS Office. The following topics/areas discussed at this workshop in relation to;. Socioeconomic and resource management issues Policy issues and institutional issues Ecological and environmental issues 6. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE AREA According to the historical evidences, the first human settlement in the area where the project sites are situated had been started during the period of the Anuradhapura kingdom. The archaeological sites that are found in the Wilpattu National Park and the coastal belt in close proximity to the project sites are evidences to prove this historical continuity. However, the human settlement in the area shifted later towards the west coast and interior in parallel to the shifting of the Anuradhapura kingdom from the north central dry zone plain to the wet zone of the present western province. During this period the population in the area decreased considerably and that tendency continued until the sixteenth century. When the Portuguese conquered the coastal areas from Matara to Jaffna in the sixteenth centaury, a tendency of population in migration to the area could be seen again. This tendency continued during the Dutch ( ) and the British ( ) rule in the country. During this latter period, the local entrepreneurial class invested capital on coconut plantation in the area and this was the period when the coastal area of the northwestern province regained its importance as a resource base. However the Puttalam lagoon remained further less attractive resource base as no body competed to exploit its natural resources. The main reason of such a situation was the caste taboos maintained by fishing communities in the country. As described by Ryan (1993), shallow water fishing (lagoons, rivers and tanks) was considered an inferior occupation and hence the people of proper Karava caste reluctant to engage in lagoon fishery (by tradition, the 14

16 Karava caste people mostly engaged in fishing in Sri Lanka from long ago). Thus it remained as an occupation of people belongs to a Karava sub- cast known as Kevul. Because of this cast barrier, people of other casts also did not pay an interest to engage in lagoon fishery. According to the elderly people in the project sites, the activity of fishing in the coastal waters between Gangewadiya and Karativu started in the 1940 s. Two fishermen who migrated to the area from Negombo were the original settlers in Serakkuliya and fishermen of the present generation in Serakkuliya are decedents of them. The Muslims in Karativu and Eluwankulama did not engage in fishing until recent times according to the people in Serakkuiliya and Gangewadiya. Following the first two migrant fishermen, several others from Negombo area migrated to Serakkuliya and it soon became a permanent settlement of the Sinhalese fishermen. By the period of the 1960s, population in Serakkuliya had been increased up to 30 families. There was not a permanent settlement in Gangewadiya until the 1960s, even though a few number of fishermen from Serakkuliya engaged in fishing in that site too. As revealed from FGDs, about 15 migratory fishermen were in Gangewadiya in the 1970s. However, their number increased rapidly after the 1980s as a result of favorable market opened up in this period for prawns and crabs in the tourist industry. The same tendency could be seen in the other two sites as well. This newly opened up market for prawns and crabs motivated the Muslim settlers in the Karativu village to enter in to fishing. As a result, a gradual increase of the number of Muslim fishermen could be seen in the area, especially in Karativu, Gangewadiya and Serakkuliya sites. Until the early 1980s, there had not a single Muslim fisherman in these sites but the new economic opportunity encouraged them to make claims over the resource. The conflict that arisen in 1993 between the Serakkuliya Sinhalese fishermen and the Karativu Muslim fishermen were an outcome of the competition developed for exploiting fishery resources in the lagoon. In this incident, about 32 boats belonged to the Muslim fishermen were set fire by the Sinhalese fishermen. This shows how the Puttalam Lagoon became a resource base over a short period of time. 7. SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROJECT SITES 7.1 Demography The selected four sites are situated in the following GN Divisions. Aluth Eluwankulama- Gangewadiya site Serakkuliya- Serakkuliya site Karativu (north & south)- Karativu site Samagipura- Pubudugama site The geographical area and the population in these GN Divisions vary considerably. According to the demographic data in 2002, the population in the five GN Divisions was 6281 persons belong to 1538 families. A breakdown of the population according to GN Divisions is given in Table

17 Table 10: Population in the project sites GN Division No. of persons No. of families Aluth Eluwankulama Serakkuliya Karativu (north) Karativu (south) Pubudugama Total Source: Grama Niladhari Records About 31.3% (482) of families in these GN Divisions were living in the four project sites in The highest number is found in the Karativu site while the lowest number is in Gangewadiya. Table 11 shows the number of families in the project site. Table 11 : Population in the project sites Site No. of families Percentage from the total Gangewadiya Serakkuliya Karativu Pubudugama Total Source: Grama Niladhari Records The actual number of families living in the project sites perhaps may be higher than the figure given in the Table 11 because of a considerable number of families are living in the area as squatters without reporting to the authorities. Six such families in the Karativu site and one family in the Gangewadiya site could be identified during the survey. The majority of the population living in the project sites is the Sinhalese (55%) while the Moors and the Tamils represent the second and the third positions respectively. When considered the religious composition of population in the project sites, Christians form the majority (43.2%) and the Islamic are the second major religious group (42.7%). The Buddhists (13.3%) and the Hindus (0.8%) represent the third and the fourth positions. The population in the Serakkuliya, Gangewadiya and Pubudugama sites is exclusively Sinhalese while in the Karativu site, the dominant ethnic group is Moors. 7.2 Social Networks It was found that kinship relationships play an important role in making access to the coastal resources in the area. The findings of the sample survey revealed that 49.1% of families in the project sites had been migrated to the area through kinship relationships with the earlier settlers. Another 28.2% of persons had migrated to the sites through marriage alliances. These kinship and marriage relationships can be seen in all the four project sites. Thus kinship networks are highly instrumental in gaining access rights to natural coastal resources in the area. The settlement in karativu had started before Serakkuiya and Gangewadiya and most the people in Karativu too are relatives by consanguinity or marriages. Hence the existing link between kinship and access rights to the resources in the sites is an important factor to be considered in formulating a management strategy for the pilot site. 16

18 7.3 Politics It could be seen that the entire social fabric of the communities in Gangewadiya, Serakkuliya and Karativu sites has been eroded by antagonisms and social divisions based on party politics. In these sites, political patronage has become a key element in distributing resources coming from outside. Party politics are involved in every economic matter and politics have become a reality of day-to-day life of these people. The situation in Pubudugama is different from other three sites but the community in this site is not exceptional from adherent to party politics. 7.4 Livelihood Activities Fishing and agriculture are the most important livelihood activities of people in the project sites. In addition, a small number (5.4%) of people engage in trade, animal husbandry, foreign employment (especially women who work in the Middle East countries) and public and private sector employment. It was revealed from the findings of the sample survey that some of the people in these sites engage in more than one livelihood activity. Some of the fishermen, for example, work as agricultural labors during the lean period of fishing. Similarly, women folk of the fishing families also work as casual laborers while their husbands and sons engage in fishing. Therefore, it is difficult to provide exact figures of the number engage in different livelihood activities. This complex nature of livelihood activities clearly reflected from the survey data. Table 12 shows the nature of livelihood activities of 179 families interviewed. Table 12: Livelihood activities of families in the sample Activity Gangewa Serakkuli Karativu Pubudug Total % diya ya ama Lagoon fishing Lagoon & sea fishing Lagoon fishing & fish processing Agri. & casual labour Lagoon fishing & net repairing Lagoon fishing & security forces Lagoon fishing & business Fish business Lagoon fishing and boat repairing Total According to the figures given in the above table, the majority of families in the project sites are depending on lagoon fishing as the most important livelihood activity but a considerable number of people also engage in other livelihood activities while engage in fishing. 7.5 Livelihood Assets The most important livelihood assets of people in the project sites are three folds namely, (a) house, (b) land, and (c) fishing crafts and gear. As far as the house is concerned, the people in the project sites consider the house as an important physical asset that ensures access rights to existing natural resources. As revealed from the FGDs, those families, which do not own a house in the site are considered as outsiders and hence exclude from the access rights to natural resources of the sites. Therefore, ownership of a house is an important factor in the area especially for securing the livelihood activities. 17

19 Like the ownership of a house, social importance has been given to the land on which a family is settled down. As revealed from the FGDs, those families have an ownership of a land in the site are considered as permanent residents while others as squatters or outsiders. The ownership of a land in the site is the basis of access rights to resources and even for obtaining a membership in a formal group such as the Fisheries Cooperative Societies. The working of this social mechanism can be clearly seen in Pubudugama where the people who do not own a land in the village are not entitled to do fishing in the site and to become a member of the Fisheries Cooperative Society. On this basis, the villagers of Pubudugama manage their fishing site (the coastal segment between Mungilaru and Vattakandal) according to a local system of resource management. The access rights to the natural resources existing in a project site are determined according to this local system of resources management. As far as the ownership in the fishing crafts and gear is concerned, it is a criterion used by people in the project sites to determine economic status of a family. For example, a family that owns a teppama (traditional fishing craft used in the project sites) is considered richer than one that depends on push net fishing. In a similar manner, the owner of one piece of fishing net is considered as richer than one who depends on repairing nets. Accordingly, the nature of ownership in fishing crafts and gear is an indicator of poverty and economic status of family in these sites. Table 13 shows the nature of ownership in these three livelihood assets of the families represented in the sample. Table 13: Nature of ownership in livelihood assets Asset Gangewadiya Serakkuliya Karativu Pubudugama Total Percentage House Land Boat Teppam/oru Nets Source: Sample survey-2003 According to the figures given in the above table, the majority of families own houses and lands in the respective sites but it is not the case in fishing crafts and gear. 7.6 Poverty The intention of this section is not to present a comprehensive analysis of poverty situation in the four project sites. Instead, the aim is to present some of the poverty indicators that are relevant to the pilot site in general. An attempt was made during the field investigation to collect several categories of data that reveal or indicate poverty situation in the project sites. These included income, house type, indebt ness and the ownership of livelihood assets Income Level of income is a commonly used poverty indicator elsewhere and it is relevant to the pilot site too. According to the income data collected, 26.3% of families in the sample were earning less than Rs.5000 a month. These families were the poorest section in terms of income. The highest income category was those families, which earned more than Rs a month. The percentage of these families was only 1.7 from the total number of families represented in the sample i.e The majority (59.7%) was earning Rs a monthly, which is the general income level of families in the project sites. Table 14 indicates the approximate monthly income of the 179 families represented in the sample. 18

20 Table 14: Monthly income of the families (in Rs) Income Gangewadiya Serakkuliya Karativu Pubudugama Total Percentage Below Above Total Source: Sample survey According to the figures indicated in the above table, almost all the families in the sample were above the officially accepted poverty line i.e. the monthly income below Rs However, 41.3% of families in the four project sites are recipients of the government social welfare benefits i.e. Samurdhi. This means that more than one third of families in these sites are poor according to the officially accepted poverty line. Hence it is not realistic to consider this officially accepted poverty line to determine poverty situation in the project sites Type of the house The house type is a realistic poverty indicator relevant to the project sites. According to the findings of the sample survey, about 50 percent of families did not own permanent houses. A large number of houses in the project sites are temporary or semi-permanent. The walls and the roof of the temporary houses are made from cadjan, which lasts about two years. Thus these houses have to repair very frequently. According to the current prices of cadjan in the area (Rs per piece), repairing cost of a temporary house is about Rs The floor area of about 90 percent of the temporary houses is less than 350 sq.ft. Table 15 shows the house type of families represented in the sample. Table 15: Status of the house owned by families in the sample Type Gangewadiy a Serakkuliya Karativu Pubudugama Total Percentage Permanent Semi-permanent Temporary Total Source: Sample survey The above figures show that more than 50% of families in the sample do not own permanent houses. Therefore, it is a realistic indicator of the economic status of families in the project sites Ownership of land The land ownership pattern is also an important poverty indicator relevant to the project sites. As mentioned earlier, the land owned by a family is an important physical asset that ensures access rights to the exiting natural resources. Therefore, every family in the project sites attempts to own a piece of land irrespective of its size and economic return. This was clearly reflected from the data of the sample survey. According to the data, the extent of the land owned by some of the families does not exceed five perch but even that they find it a valuable livelihood asset. Only 22.8% of families in the sample owned relatively big lands in the extent of more than 80 perch. Table 16 shows the extent of land owned by families in the sample. 19