Benefit sharing among actors in the culture-based fisheries sector in Sri Lanka: an analysis of giant freshwater prawn and finfish value chains

Abstract

Establishing an efficient market mechanism is important to empower the rural fishery community economically. It is fundamental for the reduction of the inequality gaps among actors within fisheries value chains. Rural fishing communities are centred around reservoirs, and they engage in CBF activities in addition to farming. This industry has received less government attention than marine fisheries, but it is highly significant in improving the livelihoods of rural communities. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of value chains in the CBF sector is important. This study was carried out in 5 locations in 3 districts in Sri Lanka via 5 case studies within the CBF sector. The objectives of this study were to identify existing value chains in the CBF sector and how its benefits are shared among the value-chain actors. Data were collected through field surveys. This study found that there are 2 main products in CBF: GFP and finfish. The main destination for GFP is the export market, while the finfish is mainly a target for the local market, especially within and outside village boundaries. Several value-chain nodes function in markets such as fishing, primary collecting, secondary collecting, wholesaling, retailing and consuming. In the fishery value chain, fishers received the highest price percentage when selling finfish as fresh. When finfish go to the dry fish market, fish receive the lowest price percentage. Within the GFP value chain, fishers who handle larger-sized prawns tend to capture lower value shares, whereas secondary collectors obtain the highest proportion of the end-market price. Upstream actors of value chains received lower benefits among the value-chain nodes. Thus, ensuring fair pricing methods and improving fishers’ bargaining power through strategically managing harvest is recommended in this study.