Socio-Economic Importance of Inland Fishery and Adaptive Strategies of Inland Fishermen at Udawalawe Reservoir, Sri Lanka

The inland fishery sector plays a pivotal role in ensuring food security and developing rural livelihoods worldwide. This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the socio-economic importance of the fishermen in the Udawalawe Reservoir area by addressing weaknesses and threats associated with the inland fishery sector. According to the database of the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA), 250 fishermen were registered with the Fishermen's Society of the Udawalawe Reservoir by the year 2022. From this population, 45 fishermen were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Primary data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey and three focus group discussions conducted from January to March 2022. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, SWOT analysis, and thematic analysis. The findings of the fishermen’s household survey revealed that enhancing employment opportunities is considered the most important factor for improving the economic conditions of the fishermen in this area while strengthening the social network among fishermen is seen as a key aspect for improving their social conditions. The SWOT analysis identified several weaknesses, including inadequate production of high-quality fish seed for stocking, a lack of value-added products from inland fish, and limited sources of capital for research and development in inland fish farming. The identified threats include chemical pollution in water that affects fish quality, various types of predators, the dominance of marine fishery in the market, and the absence of national standards aimed at developing inland fish for both local and export markets. Thus, the proposed framework based on a systematic Plan-Do-Study-Act approach, aims to identify objectives, measure progress, and implement changes through proper stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, and an effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system. Thus, this framework is suggested as an adaptive strategy to enhance the socio-economic development of fishermen in this area while minimising the identified weaknesses and threats.