Shrimp aquaculture as a vehicle for Climate Compatible Development in Sri Lanka. The case of Puttalam Lagoon

Abstract

At present, aquaculture of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in the Puttalam district of Sri Lanka is unsustainable with more than 90% of the former shrimp ponds laying abandoned as a result of shrimp disease and improper management. Between 1992-1998, over 50% of the mangrove cover was removed in order to establish shrimp aquaculture. This severely affected the functioning of coastal ecosystems, reducing their provision of useful services and increasing coastal vulnerability to climate change. Changes in the hydrology and polluted residual matter make the soil unsuitable for other agricultural purposes without costly restoration. The root of the problem was inappropriate management and a focus on short term economic gains. Despite this previous failure, the national development plan, Mahinda Chinthana, now promotes aquaculture as an avenue for development. This will only be possible if aquaculture is regulated in a sustainable and well-managed manner, and does not increase local vulnerability to climate change effects. The current paper discusses the possible costs and benefits in applying the concept of Climate Compatible Development (CCD) to shrimp aquaculture in Puttalam, Sri Lanka. It suggests how the sector can support mitigation of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and adaptation to climate change effects, whilst stimulating development that will also benefit rural societies. Mechanisms that could enable this change include subsidies, insurance and bank loans which will also facilitate investment by foreign private enterprises and subsequent export. The development of a specific aquaculture policy and master plan would facilitate the process further.

Two faces of shrimp aquaculture: commonising vs. decommonising effects of a wicked driver

“…In an aquaculture context, this tragedy takes shape through the loss of fishers' customary access to control by powerful external actors whose exclusion becomes tricky (an excludability concern), and their hostile actions around reshuffling rules of resource (mis)use, (re)distribution, (re)allocation and (over)exploitation reduce resource availability for the customary fishers (a subtractability concern). In our case study contexts, a similar tragedy became evident due to the overuse of environmental resources as inputs and the discharge of wastewater into the environment by industrial aquaculture groups in Northwestern Sri Lanka (Bournazel et al, 2015, Harkes et al, 2015 and the encroachment of customary capture fishery commons by groups of higher caste non-fishers and regulation of the use of the lagoon space in Chilika Lagoon, India (Nayak and Berkes, 2011). Solving this "tragedy" should start by fixing the excludability and subtractability problems in novel ways (Feeny et al, 1990, Ostrom, 1990, Ostrom et al, 1999, Nayak and Berkes, 2011, Galappaththi and Berkes, 2015a.…”

Climate change and aquaculture: considering biological response and resources

“…Health management and disease control are among the greatest challenges faced by aquaculture producers globally (Costello 2009, Harkes et al 2015, Cottier-Cook et al 2016, and this is considered a constraint to aquaculture expansion in many regions (Rosa et al 2012, Cottier-Cook et al 2016. As global aquaculture production expands, the effects of largescale disease outbreaks have become an increasing economic concern (World Bank 2013, Lafferty et al 2015).…”

Between the sea and the land: small-scale fishers and multiple vulnerabilities in Sri Lanka

“…It is also important to note that, on the west coast, the rapid development in shrimp farms destroyed a large proportion of mangrove forests and created many other environmental havocs that negatively affected SSFs. Harkes et al (2015) discuss the negative environmental consequences of shrimp farming in Puttalam, which is carried out by wealthy elite investors. Further, they note that the large-scale removal of coastal mangroves has effectively removed the habitats of marine life.…”