Status of the Fisheries in Two Reservoirs of the Walawe River Basin, Sri Lanka: A Case of Participation of Fishers in Management

The status of the fisheries of Udawalawe and Chandrikawewa, two reservoirs in the Walawe river basin of Sri Lanka was investigated along with an assessment of the potential role of fisheries societies in fisheries management. Higher annual fish yield was reported in Udawalawe (137.6 kg ha^-1) than in Chandrikawewa (69.9 kg ha^-1). In both reservoirs, catches of cyprinids (Labeo dussumieri and exotic carps such as Labeo rohita and Catla catla) showed a positive correlation with rainfall. The high fish yield in Udawalawe was mainly due to high seasonal catches of these cyprinids during rainy season. In Chandrikawewa, a major proportion of the landings was formed by Oreochromis mossambicus and O. niloticus. Being situated within a wildlife sanctuary, some regulatory measures are in force in Udawalawe such as limiting the fishing time, banning the use of harmful fishing methods and need for obtaining fishing licenses, which help control fishing pressure. However, fish vendors were influential in making management decisions in this reservoir. In Chandrikawewa on the other hand, it is possible to establish mechanisms for better involvement of resource users in decision-making. For effective management of the fisheries of the two reservoirs, a strong fisheries extension mechanism is needed through which reservoir fishing communities couldbe motivated to establish institutions and mechanisms for achieving consensus among fishers which can be treated as platforms for resource use negotiation.