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Crustacean crisis
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Text and pix by Gamini Mahadura
There has been a precipitous drop in the price of lobster because of the overall market drop due to COVID-19, putting the livelihoods of lobster fishermen in serious jeopardy.
Lobster fishermen say that a kilo of lobster, which used to sell at Rs 4,500, is now fetching less than Rs 1,500.
Lobster fishermen in Galle say that the closure of tourist hotels has hit them especially hard as it has resulted in the prices of lobster plummeting due to lack of demand.
Even exporting lobster is costly as airlines have increased their fairs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exporters now have to pay about Rs 600 extra for each kilo of lobster exported, they revealed.
Fishermen have to constantly repair their nets due to them being damaged by crabs and fish who try to get at the lobsters caught in the nets, while nets are also damaged due to snagging on rocks.
Buyer patterns have also changed, resulting in fishermen being forced to throw most of their catch back into the sea.
Mending, mending, mending
Lack of demand
Boats ashore