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Sri Lanka lagoon set to implement new ecosystems approach for fisheries management

The importance of the Puttalam lagoon

By IW:LEARN

May 19^th, 2025

Located in the West of the highly productive Bay of Bengal, Sri Lanka has relied on fishing both as a source of food and protein and as an employer. Puttalam, home to the second largest lagoon in Sri Lanka, thrives with small-scale fisheries that provide food and livelihoods in the region.

With 88 fishing villages and approximately 165,000 people dependent on it, fisheries in Puttalam have been identified by its residents as their most important ecosystem service, particularly for women, who participate in bivalve gleaning and other post-harvest livelihoods.

The lagoon is an important area for endangered species, such as green sea turtles and dolphins, and contains ecosystems vital for its health such as seagrass and mangroves. Tourism is also important in the Lagoon, which hosts seasonal aquatic sports and has year-round visitors to its islands. The islands additionally have cultural importance as they are connected to local religious values.

However, rising threats from fish production, including pollution from plastics and shrimp farms, illegal night-time fishing, illegal harvest of juvenile fish, and development, including dredging and project development in its extensive mangroves, are straining the lagoon’s resources and the communities that depend on them.

Thabbowa sanctuary in Puttalam, Sri Lanka. Credit: Paco Como, ShutterStock

The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division worked with the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) and IUCN partners to bring together Bay of Bengal communities and stakeholders to explore Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) in Puttalam and other Bay locations as a robust solution for meeting the area’s growing challenges. Puttalam has been selected for EAFM – ecosystem approach to fisheries management – as part of the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystems Phase II (BOBLME II) project, a five-year initiative aiming to tackle urgent challenges in seven countries. BOBLME II is implemented by RAP, with IUCN and additional partners Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) and Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBPIGO).

To encourage a more sustainable use of the lagoon’s resources, the Puttalam Lagoon Fisheries Management Area (PLFMA), was designated by the Government of Sri Lanka in 2010. The PLFMA is designed as a clear jurisdiction to bring stakeholders together under a core management plan.

This has been supported by the area-based management and fisheries measures in place, including though enforcement of the Fisheries Act and its regulations by the Department of Fisheries. There are also regular research missions to monitor the lagoon environment and regular surveillance by the navy and police.

Several conservation measures have been introduced as well, including the designation of protected areas, and “no take” zones:

signposts displays and awareness raising initiatives;
restoration projects, particularly within the degraded mangroves;
as well as coral restoration supported by private sector investments.

The focus at Puttalam will be on introducing EAFM, which looks to balance conservation of biodiversity with the need to maintain food, income and livelihood opportunities for people. This can only be achieved with good governance that strives for social and economic benefits to support the sustainable development of fisheries.

As a BOBLME II project site, FAO and its executing partners will work with local stakeholders, led by partner BOBP-IGO, to implement the EAFM plan, taking into consideration the livelihoods of men and women in the fisheries value chain. With its strong governing system already in place, Puttalam provides BOBLME II with the opportunity to support the strengthening of existing conservation efforts, while also improving livelihood opportunities for local communities. The project takes steps toward a future where those working in the environment and fisheries sector can come together to create an ecosystem that benefits both nature and humans.

For more on BOBLME, see the website here. The BOBLME II short video can be found on FAO YouTube here.

Matara, Sri Lanka - 6 March 2025: Two men on a boat in the ocean. Credit: schankz / Shutterstock

About the project:

The Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) is one of the world’s most significant LMEs with an area of about 2.6 million square kilometers - 66% of which lies within the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The Bay of Bengal harbours rich biodiversity and critical habitats with natural resources holding significant social and economic value for surrounding countries. Fisheries and aquaculture play pivotal roles in ensuring food security, employment, and trade within the region.

However, small-scale farmers are among the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. This is further compounded by the overexploitation of marine living resources as well as the increasing impacts of climate change which is being felt across all eight countries. More than 20% of mangroves have been lost since the 1980s due to expanding agriculture and coastal development, unregulated fishing practices, and pollution that is disrupting water quality.

BOBLME II takes urgent action to conserve the Bay and its resources through five main actions: advance sustainable fisheries management, restoration and conservation of critical marine habitats and protection of biodiversity, improving marine ecosystem health through pollution management, improved livelihoods, and a regional mechanism for Bay coordination, monitoring and assessment.

Footnotes

For more information, please contact: Rishi Sharma, Senior Fishery Officer, FAO RAP: Rishi.Sharma@fao.org. Cover photo: View of Puttalam Lagoon. Credit: Charith Kodagoda

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FootNotes

For more information, please contact: Rishi Sharma, Senior Fishery Officer, FAO RAP: Rishi.Sharma@fao.org. Cover photo: View of Puttalam Lagoon. Credit: Charith Kodagoda