Low tide heralds stilt fishing in Koggala –Mahinda P. Liyanage

stilt fishing in Koggala

With the customary spell of low tide along the Southern coast at this time of year, stilt fishing along the beach at Koggala in Habaraduwa, has begun. The sight of fishermen perched on poles has been a familiar sight despite the outbreak of coronavirus.

Stilt fishing is one of the most interesting traditional fishing methods in Sri Lanka. This mode of fishing is popular along the coast near Sinha Fishing Village in Habraduwa. There are three fishing spots in this area.

In addition to Koggala, this age-old mode of fishing is common at nearby Kathaluwa and Ahangama.

The sight of fishermen perched on poles as they skilfully fish from dawn to dusk is a spectacular sight along the Southern coast in towns such as Koggala, Kathaluwa and Ahangama.

On our visit to Koggala, we could see over a 100 fishermen who were busy with harvesting fish in an occupation they loved.

The fishermen told us that those who had lost their livelihoods in the tourism industry amidst the Covid-19 pandemic were also engaged in this age-old industry.

With the re-commencement of the industry, the stilt fishermen have been able to earn a satisfactory income for their day-to-day survival. However, non-arrival of tourists due to the health restrictions of the day has noticeably affected them.

Stilt fishing is a popular spectacle for the overseas tourists. The foreigners’ habit of taking photographs also brought some extra income to these traditional anglers.

Nevertheless, these fishermen are faced with a drastic decline of fish resources in the shallow seas. Many of the small-size fish that are caught by the stilt fishermen have been wiped out due to the illegal fishing methods carried out.

A stilt fisherman of Sinha Fishery Village, A.W. Ramyasiri (58) said that they go fishing from May to October every year during which period small-size fish such as koraburuwo and salayo are found in abundance in the shallow waters near Koggala.

“The fish resources have been largely destroyed due to the fishing by motorised boats. They used nylon nets for fishing which are harmful to the fish. The fish which are caught by our fishing rods are very small. The big fish are caught by fishing nets,” Ramyasiri said.

“Before the outbreak of coronavirus many tourists visited this area. They photographed us and paid us, providing us a good income. Now there are no tourists here,” he said.

Traditional fisherman B.W. Kithsiri (51) said, “We are carrying out our occupation without any specific problem. We earn our living from this method of fishing. The low tide is favourable for stilt fishing. Our fish harvest is also good. We can earn about Rs. 1,500 per day which is enough to cover our daily expenses.”

M.A. Ariyasena (70) of Sinha Fishery Village said: “Stilt fishing has been our main occupation for many years. Almost all others lost their livelihoods due to the coronavirus outbreak. But we could carry out our job unhindered during the recent difficult period. We engage in our industry from dawn to dusk and earn a moderate income for our daily needs.”

“We have three thriving specific fishing areas in Koggala, namely, Maraduwala, Modarahinna and Andana. They are our popular fishing spots. We have a good market for our fish harvest.”

“However, catching fish using lead weights is an environmentally friendly mode of fishing. We produce them ourselves by using cuttlefish bones as moulds for casting. So our fish are free of poisonous substances. They are tastier than the fish harvested by using nylon nets,” Ariyasena said.