Sri Lankan villagers adapt to threat of snakehead fish invasion

An invasive food is threatening livelihoods successful a northwestern Sri Lankan colony by devouring accepted food and shellfish taxon successful the Deduru Oya reservoir, but section fishers purpose to alteration this situation into an opportunity.

Over the past 2 years, fishermen person observed declining numbers of their emblematic drawback portion snakehead fish, antecedently unseen successful Sri Lanka, person appeared successful abundance.

According to section officials, the snakehead fish, communal successful Thailand and Indonesia, apt arrived with imported ornamental fish. When they outgrew location aquariums, owners astir apt released them into the reservoir.

Dr Kelum Wijenayake, a researcher studying the fish, explained that snakeheads person nary earthy predators successful Sri Lanka’s ecosystem. “The Deduru Oya reservoir has provided them with an perfect breeding crushed with ample nutrient and nary predator,” helium said.

These food tin aboveground to respire aerial and past with minimal water. Their crisp teeth, almighty jaws, and assertive feeding habits endanger the section ecosystem that has evolved implicit thousands of years, according to Wijenayake.

Snakeheads besides turn considerably larger than autochthonal freshwater species. Fisherman Nishantha Sujeewa Kumara reported catching a 7kg (15lb) specimen, portion autochthonal taxon typically measurement little than 1kg.

“Although we had heard of the snakehead food before, nary of america had ever seen 1 until a hobbyist angler came and caught it. That was the archetypal clip we saw it, due to the fact that this food cannot beryllium caught utilizing nets – it has to beryllium caught by angling,” said Ranjith Kumara, the caput of the area’s fishers’ association.

“We started sportfishing successful this reservoir successful 2016. Back then, we utilized to drawback tiny prawns and different high-value varieties, but present they’ve go precise rare.”

Despite an angler contention organised to power the snakehead colonisation proving unsuccessful, fishers spot imaginable benefits.

Ranjith Kumara suggested promoting angler tourism arsenic a sustainable power method that could supply alternate income for villagers who chiefly beryllium connected sportfishing and farming.

Fisherman Sujeewa Kariyawasam, who produces salted dried food from the invasive species, noted that portion caller snakehead has constricted marketplace appeal, the dried mentation is flavourful and popular.

“I americium moving to further make this business. As request continues to grow, much snakeheads volition beryllium caught for production, which successful crook volition assistance power the dispersed of the snakehead population.”