Concerns have been raised over the Crab City project in Rekawa but authorities have dismissed the concerns and are moving ahead with the construction work. The project will use some 50 acres of paddy land near the Rekawa Lagoon in Tangalle that was left barren due to the mixing of seawater to farm crabs. However, environmentalist Jagath Gunawardena stated that their concerns were on whether proper procedures were followed. “Our concern was that when seawater was pumped to the ponds, it could change the mineral balance in the soil. Since project construction commenced, we have not visited the site to observe the impact.” The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development said that a total of Rs. 250 million has been spent on the project to construct mud ponds in a 42-acre expanse of land and is to generate approximately 300 jobs for the locals. “This is a new concept for Sri Lanka. Initially, we experienced a massive outcry by the people in the area as they did not fully understand the potential of this project. Furthermore, we were repurposing barren paddy land to establish ponds for the Crab City project. The project team visited the village and conducted an awareness session on the project, and 42 acres of barren paddy land was used to establish the Rekawa phase,” State Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dilip Wedaarachchi told The Sunday Morning. Wedaarachchi said that during the 2016 floods, many culverts and bridges were destroyed in the Hambantota District and with the proposed aquaculture development projects, he and his Ministry are looking to uplift the livelihoods of the fishing families in the area. When inquired about the dispute over the paddy land in 2017 that was raised by the villagers, Wedaarachchi stated that the paddy land had become barren due to brackish water intrusion to the soil. “The paddy land was owned by a collective of families and they had inherited the land over several generations. They were upset that their paddy fields were now going to be turned into crab farms, but little did they know that we need to adapt to the changes that are taking place in the environment and make use of the land based on its composition.” Fulfilling protein requirement He added: “The latest research has revealed that people’s protein requirements are high and our human population is becoming less and less dependent on the consumption of fish, which is a major challenge for us. “It is an innovative process. A programme is in place to provide fish to meet the demand of the people as well as to strengthen the economy of the fisheries community by encouraging the youth to create new jobs.” While for the initial stage, three locations are identified from the Hambantota and Mannar Districts, the Rekawa phase alone would open up about 300 job opportunities once work commences. The first phase will be implemented in Galmulla and the second phase will be implemented in Mankerni, for which the environment impact assessment (EIA) is currently underway, the Minister informed. Increasing global demand NAQDA Director General Nimal Chandraratne, commenting on the project, stated: “Breeding technology was not developed in Sri Lanka. Within two years, the technology was established in Sri Lanka and the crablets were bred in the ponds on these cordoned off plots of land. Presently, we cannot meet the special demand of lagoon crabs in Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is essential that we cultivate them through projects such as Crab City.” The revenue that is generated through the project is expected to bring in a lot of foreign exchange to this country since an average kilo of crab costs about Rs. 3,500-4,000 and given the land extent that will be used, a yield of 60 metric tonnes is projected by NAQDA. “Sri Lanka’s crabs are in high demand in Singapore and major countries in the region. Crabs that were caught in the country’s natural lagoons have been exported to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. With the increased awareness and global demand that is created, we have supported 16 traditional fishing families in Rekawa to pilot the mud crab project, and following its success, more families would be motivated to participate in the project,” Chandraratne elaborated. No adverse impact The Sunday Morning contacted NAQDA Director Coastal Aquaculture Development Dr. J.M. Ashoka to clarify whether the project would have an adverse impact to the ecosystem surrounding the Crab City. “We work under the purview of the Ministry. Therefore, we are fully aware that authorisation needs to be obtained from the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), as some of these sites are bordering the wildlife conservation limits. The wastewater that would be pumped out of the ponds will be purified before we release it back to the ocean, as that has been the biggest concern the locals had,” Dr. Ashoka explained. – Sarah Hannan