Steps have been taken to provide sustainable solutions on a short-, medium- and long-term basis to the long-standing problem of sand accumulation at the Kirinda Fishery  Harbour.

At a special discussion held under the patronage of Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ratna Gamage, extensive discussions were held on various measures to be taken to protect the livelihoods of the fishing community in Kirinda and to restore the harbour’s operations to normalcy.

The Kirinda Fishery Harbour, construction of which commenced in 1982 and was completed in 1985, has been facing the problem of continuous sand accumulation since 1986. As a result, it was revealed that approximately 16,000 cubic metres of sand are currently deposited within the harbour premises.

The government spends a large amount of money annually to remove this sand, while other expenses, including fuel costs, have also increased significantly. It was pointed out at the discussion that this has had a severe impact on the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen.

Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Minister Ratna Gamage said,

“The government’s objective is not to stop at providing temporary solutions to this issue, which is directly connected to the livelihoods of the fishing community in Kirinda, but to provide a permanent long-term solution that will prevent the repeated accumulation of sand. Taking into consideration the views of fishermen and the recommendations of technical institutions, we will move forward with implementable solutions in stages…” he said.

As a short-term measure, it has been decided to remove the approximately 16,000 cubic metres of sand currently deposited in the harbour and use it for development projects implemented by the Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha and the Urban Development Authority (UDA).

Furthermore, it has been decided to facilitate the use of the Hambantota and Kalametiya Fishery Harbours free of charge as alternative facilities for multi-day fishing vessels currently operating from Kirinda Harbour.

As an immediate solution for one-day fishing vessels, based on a proposal by the fishermen, agreement has been reached to temporarily close the mouth of Kirinda Harbour and reopen it after removing the sand accumulated within the harbour.

It is expected that these activities will take approximately 2–3 weeks, and during this period, the fishermen have agreed to temporarily land their small fishing vessels at other locations.

As a long-term solution, instructions have also been given to conduct a feasibility study on the construction of a new harbour, with a landing site or breakwater, in the areas of Adagalawella and Nidhanagalawella, located approximately 2 kilometres from Kirinda Harbour.

As the first stage of this initiative, attention will be focused on providing a landing site and basic facilities to enable small fishing vessels to land their catch and obtain the goods and services they require.

It is expected that these measures will protect the livelihoods of the Kirinda fishing community while also providing a long-term solution for the continued operation of the harbour.

Deputy Minister of Provincial Councils and Local Government Ruwan Senarath, Members of Parliament Nihal Galappaththi and Athula Welandagoda, representatives of the fishing community in the Kirinda area, and a group of officials from relevant government institutions participated in the discussion.

Furthermore, an initial legal and regional-level discussion on finding a permanent solution to the sand accumulation problem at Kirinda Harbour is scheduled to be held at the next stage with the participation of officials from the Divisional Secretariat, Department of Fisheries, Central Environmental Authority, Coast Conservation Department, and Urban Development Authority (UDA).