Sri Lanka is a small island nation with a population of 22 million in a land area the size of Tasmania. It is currently in the top 10 countries for undernourishment in children, and with the current economic crisis, food production is anticipated to further decline by 40-50 % in 2022 [1]. The annual seafood consumption in Sri Lanka is 30 kg per capita with less than 10% of the aquatic food being produced by aquaculture. This is in stark contrast to other South Asian countries where aquaculture makes up 57% of the aquatic food.
Flanked by the Gulf of Mannar, Sri Lanka has access to remarkable marine resources. The development of the aquaculture sector has been hindered by several factors, including limited transport and road infrastructure, complicated licensing processes at local, provincial and federal government levels, and social tensions remaining from the 26-year civil war (1983-2009) [6]. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Fisheries has identified aquaculture as a priority development area to support the local economy and to bring employment and food security to rural areas.
The objective of this project was to develop a “road map” to support the development of sustainable marine aquaculture in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has large productive areas with a wide range of candidate species that are promising for aquaculture development, though have not been developed due to 30-years of civil war combined with a lack of knowledge. Partnered with Sri Lankan government agencies and universities, we undertook an expert consultative process to develop an evidenced-based consensus for country-wide aquaculture planning. To enable these markets to develop, the road maps will consider areas for improved policy and zoning, capacity building in fundamental skills (hatchery management and biosecurity), whole value chain analysis and ensuring inclusion for equitable access to resources for marine aquaculture development.
1. UNICEF, 2020 Global Nutrition Report: Action on equity to end malnutrition. 2020: Bristol, UK.
2. The World Bank. The World Bank in Sri Lanka. 2022; Available from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/srilanka/overview.
3. The World Bank, Priorities for Sustainably Managing Sri Lanka’s Marine Fisheries, Coastal Aquaculture, and the Ecosystems That Support Them. 2021.
4. NORAD, A Study on Sri Lanka’s readiness to attract investors in aquaculture with a focus on marine aquaculture sector. 2016, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
5. The World Bank, World Development Indicators. 2020.
6. ILO, Assessment of the Key Bottlenecks for Private Sector Investments in the Northern Province. 2020, International Labour Organisation, United Nations.