by Commander Bhanu Abeygunawardhana
Published on Ceylon Today on 29th October 2024.
The marine fisheries sector is significant in providing food and various job opportunities for the island nation. In particular, the marine fishery sector is critical in causing food security and it is also a major economic driver in many coastal nations. As explained by the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), Sri Lanka (SL) has the right to marine fishing within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which covers 517,000 Km2 as well as in high seas beyond the EEZ. Importantly, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MFARD) (2021) indicated that about 583,000 individuals can find direct or indirect work in the fishing industry, supporting 2.7 million coastal populations in SL. The marine fishery sector contributes fulfilment of the annual protein requirement of the country by over 60%. More specifically, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has explained that 90% of the fishing catch of the country is used for local consumption. Furthermore, the MFARD Summary Statistics (2022) indicated there were 5,088 offshore multiday fishing boats (IMUL) registered under the Ministry. However, it is important to highlight that, as per the Fisheries Statistics Report 2022, published by the MFARD, the share of fisheries to the country’s Gross Domestic Production (GDP) at the current market price is only 1.1%. Indeed, the contribution of the marine fishery sector to the country’s GDP and foreign income is very weak when compared with the majority of coastal states even though the country is rich with a vast sea area. In particular poor post-harvest management (PHM) and post-harvest losses (PHL) are significant for weaker contribution to the country’s GDP by the high seas fishery sector. According to the MFARD (2017), the deep-sea fishing sector’s post-harvest losses (PHL) are significant and the average calculated PHL is 30% to 40%. The aforementioned post-harvest losses in the marine fishery sector threaten national security in terms of economic security, food security, health security, job security and community security. Furthermore, back-to-back post-harvest losses of fishing trips directly affect the significant socioeconomic issue as a chain reaction. On the other hand, due to the frequent loss of profit vulnerable communities engaged in the high seas fishing sector may be motivated to resort to illegal activities such as drug, human trafficking and smuggling activities, significantly threatening the country’s national security. Hence introduction of a technologically proven advanced post-harvest preservation (PHP) system suitable for the Sri Lankan, IMUL fishing fleet is mandatory for strengthening national security under a few dimensions in terms of economic security, food security, health security, job security and community security.
Challenges faced in high seas marine post-harvest management
The average time spent on deep-sea fishing trips by the high-seas fishing boat is between 14 to 21 days or more in SL. Furthermore, the majority of SL high seas IMUL boats are using ice for post-harvest preservation as a common practice. However, Prasath and Wimalasiri (2017) explained that the icing method used for PHP for more than 7 -8 days directly caused post-harvest losses. Also, PHL is proportionate to the number of days the fish harvest is kept in ice after 07-08 days. For instance, when considering the average number of days spent on a fishing trip by a high-seas fishing boat, it is obvious that they have to face significant harvest losses since their average exceeds three times the recommended 7-8 days period for preserving fish harvest using ice brought from shore. It is important to highlight, that 30% to 40% of PHL directly creates various negative impacts as a chain reaction on the high seas marine fishery sector.
Indeed post-harvest losses are required to be addressed immediately when considering the local consumption, national nutrition fulfilment and financial losses due to a significant number of communities engaging in the high seas fishing sector directly and indirectly. On the other hand, Eliasson et al., (2021) highlighted that melting ice was identified as the major problem faced by fishing vessels operating in tropical countries for post-harvest preservation due to environmental temperature. Furthermore, after the fish has died, spoiling begins as a result of microorganisms, enzymes, and oxidation. Moreover, preserving fish in broken ice also causes damage to fish. However, small ice particles provide a better cooling mechanism for fish with a uniform distribution of cooling. On the other hand, breaking ice cubes into ice particles becomes a huge challenge for the boat crew at sea under various weather phenomena, since they commonly use manpower to break ice into small parts. Furthermore, ice has hard and rough surfaces that induce friction in fish, causing harm to the fish and lowering the price when the fish is marketed. In addition, it is required to maintain at least a 1:1 fish-to-ice ratio for proper cooling of the fish while using the icing method in the tropics. For instance, in tropical regions rate of melting ice is high and fishermen have to carry extra ice onboard and are required to refill the quantity of melted ice regularly. Also, in the majority of SL high seas IMUL boats use manually operating hand pumps to pump out the melted ice water which is deposited as sludge in the keel area of the boat. Furthermore, careful handling along with good hygienic practices is also required for preserving the fish soon after taking it out from the seawater. However, fatigue affects the crew in their endeavour to practise careful handling along with good hygienic practices for preserving fish. On the one hand, storing fish in the fish holds overlapping ice and the fish layered method causes to damage the layer of fish which is below due to the weight of the ice and upper-layer fish. Furthermore, rough sea conditions exacerbate the damage to fish harvest due to heavy movements of the boat including rolling, pitching and yawing during rough sea. In addition, Ugochukwu (2017) defines melting ice as reducing the flesh and value of the fish. Similarly, heat released from the fish causes to increase rate of ice melting. It was examined that the quality, as well as the quantity of fish, get harmed due to the unavailability of proper technological implementations for PHM. It is important to highlight that the duration of the fishing trip and different periods of fishing during the same trip will spoil the fish harvest when storing fish in the same fish held in different periods. When considering the fishing grounds available for IMUL boats of SL, fishing trips shall exceed 7-8 days of the recommended period for preserving harvest using ice in the tropics. On the other hand, fully loaded ice brought from shore along with other logistics requirements reduces the speed of the boat and increases the duration for reaching the fishing ground.
The MFARD high seas regulation implemented by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR), in 2015 indicates, that IMUL boats that seek registration for high seas fishing are recommended to have the Refergirating Sea Water (RSW) or Cooling Sea Water (CSW) system for post-harvest preservation. For instance the RSW or CSW systems, seawater is cooled by the refrigerating plant fitted onboard and not required to bring ice cubes from shore. More specifically, certain responsibilities were allocated to the various stakeholders and officials to monitor the application of new regulations. In Section 1 of the amended Act, under the requirement of high seas vessel registration section ‘i’ indicates a recommendation for installing the RSW or CSW system for high seas operating IMUL boats. However, it has been identified that the majority of IMUL boats even registered for high seas fishing after the implementation of the high seas fishing regulation in 2015 have not installed the introduced system for post-harvest preservation at sea.
Challenges faced due to post-harvest losses
It has been identified that a significant amount of the fish catches in SL are channelled for the production of canned fish, dry fish and Maldives fish at a lower price rather than selling the harvest as high-quality fresh fish for the local or foreign market due to loss in fish quality. On the other hand, it is important to highlight that, according to reports, the All Ceylon Multi-Day Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association said about half of the island’s multi-day fishing vessels had stopped fishing because of the high costs. Indeed, with that background, the already high marine fish prices will continue to increase further. Moreover, fish harvest begins to degrade while in transit due to the high rate of melting ice in tropical countries like SL. It is important to understand the negative consequences of the weakest deep-sea fishing industry for the country as an Island nation. In particular, the stoppage of multi-day fishing vessels engaging in fishing because of the high costs has a direct influence on the post-harvest losses because of the high costs of maintaining the boat and logistic supply for the fishing trip. However, the reduction of marine fish supply to the market leads to an increase in fish prices. An increase in fish prices causes a major reduction in domestic fish consumption in the country due to financial factors. More specifically, a weaker marine fishing sector will badly affect the health and food security since it contributes to 60 % protein requirement of the country while the consumption of fish harvest is 90% within the country. For example, the marine fishery sector is the main and easiest nutrition supply source for the population in the country. In addition, the weakest marine fishery sector shall create threats to economic security and job security creating a socioeconomic issue when considering the huge population engaged in the marine fishery sector. Even if a single fishing trip does not earn a profit it will impact subsequent fishing trips as well. Furthermore, if the same boat and the same crew happen to face the PHL during subsequent fishing trips, the condition becomes worse and more serious in terms of loss in earnings. A below-par margin of profits and a weak financial status generate serious negative consequences within the fishing community as a chain reaction due inability to fulfil even fundamental needs including food, health, good hygiene, energy, suitable accommodation and education. It is important to highlight that, with the prospect of being unable to make a reasonable profit from fishing trips, along with post-harvest losses, vulnerable fishing communities may resort to illegal activities such as drug, human trafficking and smuggling to make ends meet, creating a significant threat to the national security of the country.
Recommendations
Overall, as a preliminary approach, it is required to further study and empower the existing regulations introduced in 2015, by the DFAR under the High Seas Fisheries Management unit on Responsible Fisheries Management process guidelines for officers and related stakeholders under the High Seas vessel registration indicated in ‘page 7 of page 47’ to monitor high seas vessel registration and installation of RSW or CSW system. As a second step, MFARD and related stakeholders must study why RSW or SCW is not used in IMUL boats and it is required to further study the introduction of even a new system instead of RSW or CSW system which is favourable for the end user and which serves the purpose. Also as the third step, it is required to formulate and maintain a firm government policy related to marine fishing post-harvest management to save the harvest in good quality and to sustain both the local market and foreign export markets; to strengthen the country’s marine economy as an island nation. Similarly, the fourth step, is required to introduce a deep sea fishing ground forecasting system to reduce travel time and time spent at sea searching fishing grounds preferably as Short Message Service (SMS) for mobile phones as well as a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) which can reach all fishing communities at shore and sea. The fifth recommended step is the introduction of a suitable financial loan scheme for fishing boat owners to install improved refrigerating systems whilst providing expertise knowledge and financial assistance for MDFB manufacturers as well as enhancing the production of RSW or CSW systems.
In addition, it is required to enhance the knowledge of the fishing community about the importance as well as the necessity of implementing a sound post-harvest management system; to grab the local and foreign market with more income generation by conducting awareness programmes frequently, and sharing knowledge and expertise by related stakeholders. Finally, it is important to create opportunities for innovations and continuous research and development (R&D) to further develop an endogenous local Post Harvest Preservation system suitable to the local IMUL fishing boats, while utilising the knowledge and skills of the experts on the subject.
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* Commander Bhanu Abeygunawardena is a Military Research Officer at the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS), the premier think tank on National Security established under the Ministry of Defence. The opinions expressed are his own and not necessarily reflective of the institute or the Ministry of Defence.