Features
Regional blueprint for securing a sustainable small-scale fisheries sector
Empowering the ‘small fry’:
Professor Oscar Amarasinghe
Chancellor – Ocean University of
Sri Lanka
President – Sri Lanka Forum for Small Scale Fisheries (SLFSSF)
INTRODUCTION
“Small-scale fisheries make an important contribution to nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation – especially in developing countries. Despite this significant contribution, the issues constraining the sustainable development of small-scale fisheries remain poorly understood” (FAO). SL is no exception to this rule. High rates of resource exploitation, unregulated technological change, increasing fishing pressure, pollution of both coastal and inland waters, climate change impacts, etc. are causing threats to aquatic ecosystems, leading to resource degradation. While facing declining catches and income, small scale fishers have also been excluded from managing their own resources. Both their fishing rights and human rights have been violated. Recent trends in Blue Economic Growth initiatives have revealed, apart from their benefits to various stakeholders, a process of marginalization of small-scale fishing communities. There is wide spread poverty among SSF communities and lives of many have become non-sustainable. It is thus evident that, it will be quite difficult to achieve the dual management objectives: resource sustainability and human wellbeing. How we are going to resolve it consists of the governance challenge today.
The south and southeast asian conference on small scale fisheries and aquaculture: fishing for life conference (sacsfa 2022)
It is in the above context that, the Sri Lanka Forum for Small Scale Fisheries (or SLFSSF) was formed in February 2018 to address the major issues preventing the attainment of a sustainable small-scale fisheries sub-sector. This forum is a partnership or a Unity, of academics, researchers, state officers, community organisations, Civil Society organisations. In fact, it promotes unity in diversity.
With the declaration of the year 2022 as the Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA), the SLFSSF decided, along with the Ministry of Fisheries, Ocean University, Sabaragamuwa University, National Fisheries Solidarity (NAFSO) and Sri Lanka Association for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (SLAFAR), to organize an event to highlight various issues threatening the SSF communities, to draw the attention of policy makers and planners to these issues as a means of securing a sustainable small scale fisheries sector. This is the birth of the Fishing for Life Conference, or South and Southeast Asian Conference on Small Scale Fisheries and Aquaculture. It was felt that issues pertaining to small-scale fisheries are common to all our countries in south and Southeast Asian region. Therefore, the conference opened its door allowing all countries in the region to present their cases so that the participants could finally understand issues common to the region and to put all our brains together to find the most appropriate governance and management mechanisms to achieve the dual objective of resource sustainability and human wellbeing. SACSFA 2022 was also a unique conference because it allocated equal weight to academic sessions and video presentations by Civil Society Organisations, in the region which is termed the “Voice of the People”. The conference was held during 19-20 September 2022. There were about 7 keynote speeches and technical sessions organized under 5 major themes: Sustainable Use of Resources, impact of policy, technology, trade and development on SSF, poverty, rights and rural aquaculture, gender issues & governance and management of SSF. About 40 scientific papers and 10 video presentations (by Civil Society Organisations) were presented. At the end of the conference all recommendations, guidelines, etc. emerging from the conference were discussed by a world renowned panel of experts led by Mr. Sebastian Mathew of the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), and a STATEMENT was prepared, giving a blue print towards securing a sustainable small scale fisheries and aquaculture sector in the region, which is given below.
THE STATEMENT
We, the representatives of Sri Lanka Forum for Small Scale Fisheries, academics, researchers and civil society organisations working towards securing sustainable small-scale fisheries, from South and Southeast Asian countries, having participated virtually at the Fishing for Life: South and Southeast Asian Conference on Small-scale Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (SACSFA 2022) from 19 to 20 September 2022;
Recognizing that the small-scale fisheries subsector, marine and inland, including women and men along the value chain, contribute to food security and nutrition, employment and poverty eradication, as well to the way of life and culture of coastal and riparian communities in South and Southeast Asia;
Mindful of the ethnic, religious, caste, cultural and historical diversity, colonial legacy and patterns of migration in the region, and their impact on social and economic relations, as well as the dynamic nature of small-scale fisheries;
Conscious of the degradation of the marine environment, the heightened anthropogenic threats (e.g., pollution, overfishing, etc.), injustices caused by the blue growth process, and serious natural (e.g., climate change, extreme weather events, etc.) risks facing inland and marine small-scale fishing communities;
Concerned about unregulated technological change in marine and inland fishing, cross-border conflicts from destructive fishing methods, overfishing pressures, and their adverse impact on small-scale fisheries;
Realizing how sustainable small-scale fisheries can be secured through effective legislation, regional cooperation and collaboration, strengthening community-based institutions and the protection of the human rights of small-scale fishers and fishworkers, especially to participate in decision-making processes and intra- and inter-sectoral dialogues;
Cognizant of the need to protect tenure rights and promote social development, improve safety at sea, ensure gender equality and promote resource stewardship among small-scale fishers and fishing communities;
Interested in promoting sustainable development and greater visibility of small-scale fisheries and accountability of all small-scale fisheries actors; and
Acknowledging how the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) in the region can enhance sustainable use and management of fisheries resources, equitable development of small-scale fishing communities, and contribute to poverty eradication.
Recommendations
Recognize the contribution of small-scale fisheries to nutrition and food security and strengthen documentation of fish production from small-scale fisheries and of other products along the value chain, and develop robust methodologies for data collection in the region;
Respect human rights, including livelihood rights of small-scale fishers, and their right to sustainably use and manage fisheries resources and ecosystems, consistent with paragraph 5.5 of the SSF Guidelines;
Promote the stewardship of small-scale fisheries through: broad-scale engagement and collaboration of all stakeholders, building their knowledge and capacity, monitoring, communication, education and outreach;
Uphold a rights-based approach to small-scale fisheries development that recognises the rights of access to resources and human rights as integral to human development;
Encourage sustainable development of small-scale fisheries for balanced social, economic, and regional development in coastal and rural areas and create new opportunities within an ecosystem approach to fisheries and regional cooperation;
Reverse all forms of discrimination against women, apply intersectionality principles (e.g., recognising the different needs of groups and people according to age, gender, education, class, ability, etc.), develop skills, promote technological inclusion and empower women to participate in fisheries decision-making processes, especially to strengthen their contribution to economic wellbeing and to address wage disparities along the fisheries value chain. Also, promote sharing of reproductive and care work to create opportunities for women to engage in paid work;
Promote an interactive, inclusive and multi-stakeholder approach to fisheries governance going beyond the scope of conventional fisheries management, towards articulating power through the involvement of local communities, and representative organisations, by means of training and capacity building;
Strengthen vulnerability coping mechanisms, establish effective, integrated, inclusive, participatory and holistic co-management platforms, and deliver on securing fishers’ rights and social development within the framework of the SSF Guidelines;
Empower fishers’ and fishworkers’ organizations, including fisheries cooperatives, through training and capacity building and other assistance, at the local level, to safeguard fishers’ and fishworkers rights, to provide affordable access to basic social services, to promote social security, to support livelihoods, and to meet their essential needs;
Adopt “bottom up” processes as well as cross-sectoral collaboration towards realizing a balanced and equitable partnership in the implementation of the SSF Guidelines, acknowledging that fishers, fishworkers and their organisations are the main drivers of bottom-up processes, and are supported by academia, NGOs and CSOs;
Promote consultation with small-scale fishing communities while undertaking tourism, aquaculture, industry, infrastructure developments and other activities in coastal areas that impact small-scale fisheries, protect their human rights and secure their informed consent before commencing these activities;
Design and innovate appropriate risk transfer tools (e.g., social insurance) and risk retention measures (e.g., social assistance) to deal with climate change and disaster events adversely impacting coastal and inland fishing communities; and
Mainstream the SSF Guidelines into relevant policies, strategies and legislation at the national and local levels, and develop national plans of action for sustainable fisheries and socio-economic development of fishing communities, as has been initiated by several countries in the region and other parts of the world (e.g., Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Malawi, Madagascar and Namibia).
by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka
When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.
Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.
Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.
Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.
The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.
This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.
Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.
This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.
Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.
by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI
Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.
It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.
Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.
Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.
Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.
Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.
Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.
Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.
In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.
Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.
Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com
“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech
Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).
It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.
Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.
However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.
1. The revenue loss
During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.
The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”
I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.
As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!
Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”
If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.
Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.
Investment from Singapore
In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.
And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.
I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”
According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!
What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).
However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.
Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.
That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.
The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?
It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.
As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.
(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )
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