Something fishy in Mawella

Who has heard of a fisheries harbour against the wishes of the fishermen? Destruction of a beach against howls of protest from its stakeholders?! A project nobody has been informed of. A very hush, hush hurried project. Not even the other departments of the government know. Tourism is unaware?, Local government institutes in the dark!?. District authorities in the dark?! Environmental people in the dark!? What are they trying to hide? What’s going on in Mawella? When fisheries dept. officials were asked what it is all about, by tourism people “it is a yacht marina for the high end tourism!” What has fisheries got to do with that? What do fisheries officials know of yachts and their needs anyway? If they are actually doing a marina then they are hoodwinking the fishermen, and misusing the fund meant for fisheries development. They are supposed to work for the fisheries sector, not the super luxury moorings of the leisure industry. Which is far removed from a fisheries harbour as chalk is from cheese. Who are they trying to kid? Do they actually believe a yacht would moor right next to a fleet of bustling fishing boats? Not even in super rich countries do these two mix. Anyway, how many yachts are there in Sri Lanka? A yacht marina is a great idea. Southern tourism can be accessed from land and air at the moment, but not the sea. But to put one in Mawella beach beats the purpose as it would destroy the very thing tourists come looking for, great unpolluted beaches. Put a marina in a place where they can moor and come visit places like Mawella beach to enjoy.

The Fisheries Department people have stated their breakwater and anchorage in Mawella is going to protect the beach. All the small boats and ‘catamarans’ that populate Mawella beach are going to be taken off and dumped in the harbour. They say their ugly massive anchorage structures, almost sitting on the beach is supposed to protect it from sea erosion. Haven’t we seen similar structures right round Sri Lanka’s coast? Especially Negambo, Marawila stretch? And the notorious breakwater in Unawatuna? What have they protected? Haven’t these structures destroyed the beaches themselves, not just its aesthetics?

Talking to the fishermen on the beach, they are unaware of the plans to ‘pen’ them. They have no intention of moving from their boat parking spaces. Common knowledge tells us, an anchorage is for big multiday boats which cannot come ashore. Mawella has 12 of these. They are parked in Kudawella. They are owned by just five people. Would the whole fisheries department bend over backwards to accommodate these five? Spend Rs.300 million on a 12-boat parking facility? Destroy all the traditional ‘Maadel’ fishers on the shore for it!? Destroy the fledgling tourism in the bay for it, with an ugly smelly harbour? Somebody is getting hoodwinked, either the fishermen or the tourism investors. Something very is fishy going on here. Bet the stink will be unbearable when the truth comes out. Over to you Minister Douglas Devananda to sort out this mess.

Chamila