Browsing by Author "Gunasekara, R.S."

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    A Review of Export Trade of Indigenous Freshwater Fish Species in Sri Lanka and Their Conservation Issues
    (Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2013) Fernando, M.S.R.; Liyanage, N.P.P.; Jayamanne, S.C.; Gunasekara, R.S.
    The ornamental fish trading in Sri Lanka has come a long way over the last 85 years of its existence to develop in to a valuable foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka. Ornamental fish are exported to 71 countries around the world. Exporters have shown an increasing trend over the last decade particularly since price has become more competitive. Many species of fresh water fish in Sri Lanka are collected from wild habitat for ornamental fish export trade which causes a series conservation issue on the particular endemic freshwater fishes. The effect of selective over collection are exacerbated by the habitat degradation that is taking place independently of aquarium trade activities but which would inevitably affect the sustainability of endemic fish aquarium trade (Ekaratne, 2000). Therefore some of the freshwater endemic species require urgent measurement for their protection and sustainable management. Present study was intended to analyze and evaluate the trade of freshwater fish in Sri Lanka with a particular focus on endemic species. Determining exported species and their quantities, evaluate the actual foreign exchange earnings from the endemic fish trade , identify annual fluctuation of exported quantities with biological data of endemic fish species and identify the conservation issues related to endemic fish were the main objectives of present study. Methodology Data on the freshwater fish species subjected to ornamental export trade and their quantities were extracted from the Customs Goods Declaration Forms (CusDec) submitted by the ornamental fish exporters to the Air Cargo (Exports) Terminal in Katunayake under the Department of Sri Lanka Customs. A total of 3037 Customs Goods Declaration Forms submitted during the period of one year from 1 September 2012 to 31 August 2013 were analyzed and some part of the data were extracted from Data Base Management System of Sri Lanka Customs. A questionnaire was also used to gather additional information from ornamental fish exporters and having face to face interviews with local villagers, laborers of export oriented fish farms , ecologists and specialists on relevant field. A literature survey was also conducted to gather relevant background information. Results and Discussion During the one year period from 1 Sep 2012 to 31 Aug in 2013, a total of 29 species of fish in 15 families were collected from freshwater habitats for the export from Sri Lanka. Among the total, 18 species were indigenous, 10 species Endemic, 3 salt dispersants and one was exotic. When considering the total quantities of exported freshwater fish during the one year period the most common species exported was the endemic fish Garra ceylonensis (28551 individuals), followed by Indigenous salt water dispersants Monodactylus argenteus (15617 individuals) and the endemic fish Dawkinsia singhala (6322 individuals). Anguilla bicolor was the species exported in least quantities (14 individuals). During the one year study period, 63419 individuals had been exported from Sri Lanka as wild collected freshwater fishes.