SRI LANKA: AQUATIC RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

TA GRANT:
Capacity Building and Livelihood Support for Women's Sub-
committees of Inland Fisheries Societies in Sri Lanka

K.B.C.Pushpalatha

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policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent.
ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any
consequence of their use. The countries listed in this paper do not imply any view on ADB's part as to
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 Sri Lanka Fisheries Sector
 Fish are the principal source of protein for Sri Lanka’s population
 It plays a vital role in meeting basic nutritional and livelihood needs
 Extensive water bodies (reservoirs/tanks) constitute a potentially rich source of food
and income for the rural population living in their proximity.
 In 2010 only 14% of the country’s fish production came from inland fisheries and
aquaculture

 The total Fisheries industry contributes 1-2 % of GDP

Women’s involvement in the Inland fisheries sector is less than 1%

 ARDQIP Project Objective
Project Objective:
Improve food security and reduce poverty, especially in rural
areas by promoting market driven and sustainable management
of inland fisheries and aquaculture through resource development.
Project Results:
 Inland Fisheries Societies have been newly formed or re-
organized and strengthened
 Improved technical, management, organizational and business
planning skills of fishers
Increased fish production 48%
optimum utilization of water bodies,
proper management of fisheries together with
increased stocking of fish fingerlings
 ARDQIP Project Results
Increased fish seed production capacity in ADC’s (19.2
million in 2008 from 2.8 million in 2003).
improved quality and provide value addition in fish
products such as dry fish, fish bolls, fish fillets etc.
Increased income levels of fishers including fish processors
and traders
Project Period: 2002-2010
Before ARDQIP, Women were rarely involved in aquaculture-related
activities and their participation in fisher’s associations was low.
Although they were interested in increasing their involvement in
fisheries and non-fisheries related livelihood activities, they had no
opportunities under the project.
After ARDQIP : - Women’s direct involvement in the inland fisheries sector
increased up to 3% and indirect involvement increased to 10% through
opportunities to set up operations, and manage small scale culture-based and
aquaculture-related fisheries enterprises
- The formation and strengthening of fisher’s societies, ensured 10%
membership and representation of women and women’s increasing
leadership functions in the societies.
- To develop their interest, with project assistance, women formed
Women's sub-committees of the Fisheries Societies. They are linked to the
Fisheries Societies for institutional sustainability.
TA: Capacity Building and Livelihood Support for
Women's Sub-committees of Inland Fisheries
Societies in Sri Lanka

The TA project is supported by the GAD Fund, arises from the

request by Women's sub-committees of the Fisheries Societies for
access to resources provided through the ARDQI project to
strengthen the sub-committees and support on-going and new
livelihood-related activities:

• Some women are already engaged in home-based

enterprises and seek further skill development,
material/equipment and credit to expand these activities.

• Others look to embark on fisheries-related , e.g. fingerling

production, ornamental fish culture, activities.
Capacity Building and Livelihood Support for Women's Sub-
committees of Inland Fisheries Societies in Sri Lanka
Objectives
To empower Women’s sub committees of inland
fisheries societies socially and economically through
institutional strengthening
To support ongoing and new livelihood activities
To build networks with relevant stakeholders
To increase household resources and incomes
 To improve women's decision-making power and
contribution within the family and the community.
Project period - 1 year – Activities commenced
October 2010
 Target Group
100 members of the women sub-committees of the
inland fisheries societies
Target Area

Polonnaruwa
Anuradhapura

Ampara
Matale

Monaragala Hambantota
 Activities for Improving skills and entrepreneurial capacity
of fisherwomen
1. Awareness creation:
– Government stakeholders –
- orientation meetings with NAQDA staff on the scope of the work, process
and expected outputs.
- meetings with the Government stakeholders, Divisional Secretariats and
their officials, Director of the Industrial Development Board (IDB), Officials of
the SME Development Unit of the District Secretariats and the Fisheries
Cooperatives officials and Women Development Officers
- interviews with managers of Commercial Banks in project areas – for
future links with formal credit institutions
- Overall target group – women in the target villages
- semi-structured interviews to identify women’s livelihood interests
- focus group discussions with a sample of micro entrepreneurs,
stakeholders and suggested business associations.
- SWOT analysis on capacities and resources
- PRA tools to identify time availability, existing market links, issues and
constraints.
 Activities for Improving skills and entrepreneurial capacity
of fisherwomen
2. Selection of beneficiaries: 1. Macro screening
(being a member of women’s sub-committee of fisheries societies, level of poverty,
widows, anticipated contribution)
2. Micro screening. The rating of the indicators
No. Indicator Assigned Weight (Out of 100)

1 Market Potential 20
2 Profitability 15
3 Investment Potential 12
Indicating Potentials
4 Inputs Availability 10 for Growth (70%)
5 Technology Availability 8

6 Ease of Implementation 5

7 Geographic Concentration 8

8 12 Indicating Potentials
Current Business Associations for Business
9 Attitudes for Association 7 Associations/Clusteri
ng (30%)
10 Complementarities of Products 3

The micro screening resulted in the identification of the micro enterprises best suited for
receiving development assistance by the Project.
 Activities for Improving skills and entrepreneurial capacity

3. Needs identification for women entrepreneurs (Identify

and explore the general and specific social and economic needs of the
women in the target communities of the project and see how they can be
addressed through the Action Plan).

4. Cluster formation for enterprise growth, and

marketing linkages, e.g. Dry fish making, pig rearing
5. Preparation of business plans for access to finance –
with support from the National consultant and project
team from NAQDA
6. Technical capacity building -
- livelihood-related skills, (poultry, ornamental fish
culture, fish processing etc.
- entrepreneurship/business planning,
 Planned Activities to improve skills and
entrepreneurial capacities
7. Distribution of necessary equipment/materials to the
maximum limit of Rs.10,000/- per person, e.g. for
brood stocks, water pipes, roofing sheets for poultry
sheds, etc.
8. Links to banks/micro finance institutions for capital for
business expansion
9. Capacity building of relevant government staff for
enterprise management
10. Training programs for soft skills development for
leaders of women’s sub-committees (e.g.
organizational management, leadership skills and
group formation) through participatory approaches
 Planned Activities…cont.

11. Knowledge/experience sharing through field

exposures, case studies, reflection sessions etc.

12. Individual counselling and business development

support services through relevant agencies
Outputs to date:
Name of Fisheries No. No. No.
society applied interviewed Selected

Wilachchiya 71 14 9
Aluth divulwewa 27 23 14
Ellewewa 22 18 9
Pimburattewa 24 16 9
Kirimetidamana 12 9 5
Hennanigala 35 10 9
Humbegamuwa 74 36 14
Mahagalwewa 15 12 9
Mahawa thenna 40 34 10
Karawgaswewa 60 51 12
TOTAL 380 223 100
Business sectors identified for Clusters

Animal husbandry
• Backyard poultry
• Goat rearing
• Cattle rearing
• Piggery
• Ornamental fish rearing
Processing
• Dried fish
• Grinding and agro processing
• Milk Processing
• Food Processing
 Business sectors identified
• Vegetable and fruits cultivation
• Groceries
• Marketing local produce in fairs
• Brick Making
• Tailoring
Thank you