Collaboration for Development Outcomes in Sri Lanka

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts: How Complementary Programs and Private Sector Cooperation Have Contributed to the Development of the Sri Lankan Seafood Industry

Ten years after the thirty-year conflict ended, the Northern Sri Lankan fishing industry looks substantially different. Although fishing was a pre-war livelihood for many families in the Northern districts of Jaffna, Mannar and Kilinochchi, during the war sea access was restricted, many fisher families were displaced, and infrastructure and assets were destroyed. In January 2019, two Sri Lankan blue swimming crab (BSC) fisheries became the first in Asia to receive the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch’s “good alternative” rating for sustainably sourced crab.1 A range of actors and factors have contributed to these sector developments; this learning brief summarises some of the key ones.