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Pollution and illegal filling are killing the Negombo lagoon, once considered one of the best wetlands in Asia

Livelihoods drown in murky waters
By Naomi Gunasekara
Except for a crow gorging on fish intestines or a solitary boat entering the lagoon from the deep seas, the atmosphere is calm. Yet, standing on the bridge that spans the lagoon, the once vividly visible reflection of the Dutch Church close to the Negombo prison can no longer be seen in the murky water.

Suggestions to solve identified problems

Demarcating the lagoon through the use of cement posts - UNLFPO suggests the use of 3,600 posts at 10 metre intervals to secure the lagoon from illegal filling and subsequent acquisition of land. The UNLFPO has planted 600 posts within one year. The rest have to be planted soon in order to protect the lagoon from illegal filling.
Boats that fish in the deep seas should be moved away from the heart of the lagoon and positioned in the sea by establishing small harbours or areas to lay anchor.
Banning the emptying of burnt oil to the lagoon. This oil can be put to better use by using it to preserve wood.
Prohibiting fishermen from dumping fish parts into the lagoon. Those who dry fish for karavala and sell them at the main markets close to the lagoon dump fish parts that have no economic value into the lagoon. These parts can be transformed into economic value by establishing industries to produce fertilisers and animal food.
Prohibiting illegal filling and acquiring all land so filled under the state.
All canals that bring water to the lagoon must be deepened by removing dirt settled in their beds. Experts have estimated that 46,000 cubic feet of sand ought to be removed from the lagoon bed.
Immediate execution of the Negombo Administrative Plan and regulation introduced thereunder.
Planting mangroves in an area of 400 hectares to substitute the damaged mangroves.
Planting algae and other sea ferns to maintain the ecological balance of the lagoon.
Removing all polythene from the lagoon.
Providing proper housing for the 1,500 fisher families in the area.

Once considered one of the best wetlands in Asia, the Negombo lagoon is dying a slow death.

Felician Fernando who heads the United Negombo Lagoon Fisher Peoples' Organisation (UNLFPO), says the lagoon which earlier spread over an area of over 4,000 hectares has lost over 800 hectares as a result of illegal and unauthorised filling.

Over 3,000 fisher families and 15,000 dependants live on income earned from the lagoon and hence when the lagoon's ecological-system is disrupted, these families are seriously affected. "The 35 villages situated close to the lagoon contain the poorest segments of fisher-folk in Sri Lanka. They have to be protected because they depend solely on the lagoon for income," said Fernando.

Ever since prawn fishing in the lagoon began, the economic value of the lagoon increased by millions. Yet the industry has dwindled because mangrove clusters situated around the lagoon have been destroyed to fill land. While mangroves covered an area of 700 hectares in the early 1980s, some 400 hectares have been destroyed of late. "Mangroves are essential to lagoon life as they provide safe breeding places for lagoon fish. When they are destroyed, the lagoon starts dying."

"Over 80 percent of the illegal fillers belong to society's elite and they are backed by influential people. They build holiday homes and bungalows along the lagoon banks," says Fernando.

Government institutions empowered under various statutes like the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, Forests Ordinance, Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, Coast Conservation Ordinance etc are reluctant to take action against these offenders.

Lawyer Jagath Gunewardena says such action is simple and uncomplicated. "The Central Environmental Authority has a simple action against filling of protected areas without an Environmental Impact Assessment. Until and unless permission is obtained for such filling the CEA can halt filling in terms of Section 24 (b) of the National Environment Act."

The State Lands Ordinance and State Land Encroachment Ordinance too lay down simple procedures to be adopted with regard to encroachers.

"We urged the government to formulate a national policy on fishing and ban illegal filling, but nothing has been done yet," lamented Fernando, who pointed out that the lagoon is enriched by sea water that comes from the lagoon estuary and the five canals that bring fresh water from the south of Negombo. "These waters flow from the northern to the southern end of the lagoon during tidal seasons thereby paving the way for a special water system.

And it is only when this is maintained that the lagoon will produce tasty fish in abundance. Once this is destroyed there will be no hope for the lagoon."

Industrialisation in the late '70s saw over 60,000 families being settled in the Ekala Industrial Estate without the necessary sanitary facilities. Sewage from this area has settled in the eastern end of lagoon creating marsh land.

Highway breeds more trouble
Despite many a protest by fisher families, the work carried out under the Colombo-Katunayake highway construction project is continuing regardless of the damage it causes by filling an area that is crucial for the ecological-balance of the lagoon.

According to Felician Fernando, the area to be filled is the best breeding place for mal isso, a variety of small prawn found abundantly in that area of the lagoon and used by deep sea fishermen to attract bigger fish. "We are not objecting to the idea of building the highway. It is essential for the country's development. But the project will fill 1.7km of the lagoon, which contains three of the most important prawn breeding spots. If they are destroyed 25,000 fishermen who use it as prey will face serious problems."
Filling this area will also kill mangroves that have become a breeding place for tiny fish and at the same time destroy many a lagoon plant that is found only in the Negombo lagoon, Fernando said.

Despite a government decision to temporarily halt construction work, the work had been carried out on the Pamunugama end, when The Sunday Times visited the site last month.

"If this problem persists, lagoon crab and prawn will be severely affected. Fishermen who go to these areas have contracted various skin rashes due to the dumping of industrial waste from 60 factories into the lagoon."

Another problem is the recent trend towards settling people in the lagoon islets where mangroves grow. "Three islets are occupied at the moment and we cannot ask their inhabitants to go away because the government has provided them water and electricity. But the other eight must be protected to preserve mangroves."

Hotels located close to the lagoon add to the pollution. Over 28 rest houses are situated along the lagoon banks and dump sewage and waste into the lagoon and rivers that bring water to the lagoon.

Lagoon life is also threatened by the deep-sea-going boats anchored in the heart of the lagoon. These discharge burnt oil killing the small fish. "We don't have a harbour and that aggravates pollution. Whenever action is taken to establish one, outsiders protest. But all deep-sea-going boats should be removed from the lagoon estuary," Fernando says.

Most of the boats moored at the lagoon are owned by fishermen from Chilaw, Marawila and Kattaneriya, who are drawn to Negombo because of the high prices paid for Negombo fish.

"When oil remains in the lagoon-bed, crab and prawn are affected. Some small fish even taste of kerosene. The Ocean Pollution Prevention Commission has authority to take action against these fishermen but they are reluctant," Fernando said.

Little hands at Herculean task
Thirteen-year-old Samantha sat on a wooden bench surrounded by piles of fish heads and intestines dripping with blood. He was preparing Yak Salayas, a variety of small fish to be washed, dried and salted by his mother.

At the small fish lellama in Negombo, Samantha continued his work, carefully holding a knife between his toes and severing fish head after fish head.

Dressed in a skimpy pair of shorts and a dirty T-shirt he barely lifted his head when asked if he went to school. When a young girl seated next to him answered for him in the affirmative, Samantha didn't seem pleased.

He was not alone in his Herculean task of cutting mountains of fish. Little children of the same age or younger than him joined him in this collective battle against starvation. "I cut about 50 kilos of fish a day. When there is more I cut all that I can," he said wiping beads of sweat off his little forehead.

According to the United Negombo Lagoon Fisher Peoples' Organisation (UNLFPO), impoverished fisherfolk in the area are forced to work their women and children to make up for the lost income. "Their income has dropped drastically during the past few years due to the environmental threats faced by the Negombo lagoon," the organisation's President, Felician Fernando told The Sunday Times. "Twenty two percent of the children who drop out of school come from the Negombo area. And this trend is growing."

While labour laws in the country prohibit the employment of children under 14, and child rights activists fight for these children's right for education, fisher families employ their children in odd jobs to keep their home fires burning.

Most women interviewed hastily agreed that all children working on these karavala wadi went to school and enjoyed working on the beach.

But the truth was far from this. There was sadness and repressed anger in those innocent eyes.

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