Greenpeace Report Exposes Marine Collapse and Land Marginalisation in Northern Sri Lanka
Tamil fishing communities across Sri Lanka’s North-East face a severe marine life collapse and a loss of decision-making power over their traditional waters, according to a report published by Greenpeace. The study, titled From Consultation to Consent: Community Voices in Sri Lanka’s Marine and Coastal Governance, reveals that post-war displacement, military-held lands, and poorly managed protected areas are compounding environmental pressures for coastal residents.
Researchers surveyed 186 people across nine villages in North Mannar, stretching from Vellankulam to Pooneryn and encompassing Iranaitivu. The assessment also integrated focus group discussions in Vidathaltivu, Vakarai, Kalpitiya, Negombo, and Rekawa, detailing how unregulated commercial practices and top-down conservation decisions undermine local livelihoods.
Declining Catches and Unregulated Commercial Fishing in North Mannar
In North Mannar, 95 per cent of survey respondents reported a noticeable drop in marine life compared to five years ago. Fishers linked declining fish stocks and smaller catch sizes directly to illegal bottom trawling and unregulated sea-cucumber farming.
Seventy per cent of households stated their incomes had worsened, forcing fishers to travel farther offshore to escape commercial fishing pressure and pollution. Furthermore, 85 per cent expressed powerlessness against illegal dynamite and light fishing, pointing to a complete lack of government enforcement. The report notes that post-war displacement, land-title insecurity, military land seizures, and access restrictions heighten vulnerability in these coastal settlements.
Unannounced Protected Zones and Environmental Degradation in Vidathaltivu
In Vidathaltivu, residents discovered their local waters were gazetted as a protected zone in 2016 only when signboards appeared three years later in 2019. Some community members learned of the 29,180-hectare protected area only after facing penalties for crossing its boundaries.
Despite its protected status, the zone is monitored by only two officers, leaving the area exposed to rampant illegal bottom trawling and dynamite fishing. While authorities support shrimp farming within local mangrove forests, coastal fishers blame chemical pollution from these farms for the near-zero collapse of Vidathaltivu’s mud crab harvests since the 1990s. In response, fishers have voluntarily refrained from harvesting within a 100-meter coastal stretch of the mangrove shoreline to let fish populations recover.
Militarisation and Land Restrictions Confronted by Indigenous Communities in Vakarai
In Vakarai, Indigenous participants reported widespread deforestation, land grabbing, restricted forest access, post-war displacement, and heavy militarization. Indigenous leaders state they have met the President multiple times regarding land rights with zero follow-through, while the Forest and Archaeological departments actively block access to traditional lands.
Community members remain hesitant to question authorities due to lasting memories of the civil war and recent intimidation, including death threats directed at individuals seeking information about forest activities. Financial compensation promised after Cyclone Ditwah for destroyed nets and crops never arrived despite formal registration.
Language Barriers and Exclusion in Kalpitiya Administration
In Kalpitiya, language barriers—specifically Sinhala-only notices—and an overburdened local administration effectively shut Tamil-speaking communities out of local governance. The report concludes that these administrative hurdles render public consultation a fiction.
Greenpeace recommends embedding free, prior, and informed consent into the proposed National Environmental Bill, issuing all official notices and environmental impact assessments in both Sinhala and Tamil, and establishing strict protections for environmental human rights defenders in the North and East. The organization also calls for piloting legally recognized co-management zones in Vidathaltivu and North Mannar to give dependent communities a voice in managing local ecosystems.
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