Summary
Villagers in northwest Sri Lanka are dealing with an invasive fish, the snakehead, which is disrupting local fishing in the Deduru Oya reservoir. The fish, originally from Thailand and Indonesia, is harming local species, but villagers are finding ways to adapt by promoting fishing tourism and processing the fish for dried products.
Key Facts
- Snakehead fish are not native to Sri Lanka and have been found in large numbers in the Deduru Oya reservoir.
- The fish might have come from ornamental fish imports and were released into the wild.
- Snakeheads have no natural enemies in the local ecosystem and have become a threat to traditional aquatic species.
- These fish can live with little water and grow much larger than local fish species.
- Local fishers report catching snakeheads weighing up to 7 kilograms.
- Fishermen initially struggled to catch snakeheads using nets and had to use angling instead.
- There is a push to make angling a tourist activity to help manage the snakehead population and provide extra income.
- Some villagers have started producing dried snakehead fish, which is becoming popular despite low demand for fresh snakeheads.
