Sabaragamuwa Province, renowned for its lush greenery and abundant water resources, presents a fertile ground for inland fisheries and aquaculture. The province network of rivers, reservoirs, and tanks offers immense potential for cultivating various fish species. Inland fisheries and aquaculture play a pivotal role in the economy of the province, providing a sustainable source of livelihood for many communities. It contributes to food security by supplying fresh fish to local markets, while also generating income for fish farmers and also It contributes to the provincial economy by supplying fresh fish to local markets and beyond.
The ornamental fish industry is expanding with high potential in Sabaragamuwa province as a self-employment as well as an industry that provides foreign exchange to the country. The reason for this high expansion is that a small space is enough to raise fish, income can be obtained in a short period of time, and land that cannot be used for agricultural activities can be used for this purpose.
These ornamental fish related businesses can be grouped under the sub-businesses of fish breeding, ornamental fish farming, running ornamental fish shops, aquatic plant production, fish import, export, ornamental fish accessories and fish feed production and most entrepreneurs have at least two businesses.
In the province, there are more than 400 active entrepreneurs related to the ornamental fish industry and 7 well-organized ornamental fish producers associations.
Apart from that, this sector helps to reduce unemployment in the province as the younger generation can easily get involved in this sector. Provision of adequate technical know-how and infrastructure are the main requirements for that.
Sabaragamuwa Province Ratnapura District has three main reservoirs where freshwater fishing is carried out namely Udawalawa Reservoir, Chandrika Reservoir and Samanala Reservoir. Apart from this, about 65 small and temporary reservoirs in Ratnapura and Kegalle districts are actively contributing to the freshwater fisheries industry. Although the primary purpose of these reservoirs is to provide sufficient water for agricultural land, the fresh water fishing industry has contributed to get the most out of the natural resources. Our primary objectives are to increase per capita production and improve market facilities by increasing fish population in reservoirs, introducing new varieties of fish and introducing new technology for harvesting and processing fish.
