No new laws on Beach Seine fishing

6 February 2026 08:00 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 3 Bookmark

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Colombo, Feb. 6 (Daily Mirror) - The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has clarified that no new laws have been introduced regarding the use of beach seine nets, stressing that authorities are only enforcing existing regulations.

Director General Susantha Kahawatta made the clarification amid protests in several areas opposing restrictions on the use of tractors and winch machines in fishing activities.

He said the Madel (Beach Seine) Fishing Regulations of 1984 clearly state that beach seine fishing is a traditional livelihood that must be carried out manually, without the use of mechanical equipment.

According to the Department, out of the 827 active beach seine nets operating islandwide, the majority, particularly in the Southern Province, continue to engage in the industry using human labour without encountering issues.

The Director General further noted that the use of tractors and winch machines has resulted in serious environmental and social concerns.

Comments - 3

Sohan Friday, 06 February 2026 10:01 PM

The fisherman should be allowed to use machinery as labor costs are high and it will reflect on fish pricing. These officers are living in dreamworld and should be sent home

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DR .NAGA Friday, 06 February 2026 11:25 PM

THEY CAN BE DONE USING AN OX OR BUFFALO.

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Shan Thursday, 19 February 2026 10:20 PM

The thing is, we have to consider small-scale fishermen using Vallam and theppam in the coastal regions. If these machine-seined beach seine functions without limit, they seriously impact the environment and small-scale fisherfolk. These machineries replace human labour (muscle power) with heavy machinery, providing the opportunity to increase the seine area, allowing the length of the beach seine to be extended from 500 to 1000 meters. Also, these days, many beach seine nets use small mesh due to depleted fish stocks from overfishing. So, if they increase the length, it's not traditional, and it's not Beach seine. It's become bottom trawling or a kind of Purse seine fisheries.

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