The National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) has launched a Rs.25 million programme to modernise Sri Lanka’s inland prawn industry, replacing the traditional practice of directly releasing post-larvae into reservoirs with a new cage-based pre-growing method.
Under the new approach, post-larvae are retained in cages within reservoirs for about a month, reaching 1.5 to 2 inches in size before release. NAQDA has already established 25 research-level cages near major reservoirs and successfully tested the system at the Girithale tank, two reservoirs in Anuradhapura District and two reservoirs in the Northern Province.
NAQDA Chairman Kithsiri Dharmapriya said the efficiency gain is substantial. “Previously, to obtain one kilogram of prawns, about 300 to 400 larvae had to be released into reservoirs. But through this new ‘cage method’, since prawns grown for a month reach about 1.5 to 2 inches in size before release, we expect that only about 100 larvae will be needed to obtain one kilogram of prawns. This is a threefold increase in efficiency in the inland prawn industry,” he said.
The programme is funded under a Rs.25 million allocation from the 2025 Budget. NAQDA said the initiative has drawn active participation from the private sector and provincial councils, with entrepreneurs purchasing inland prawns pledging to supply larvae and feed. The Uva and Southern Provincial Councils have committed support to expand the project into their regions.
Inland prawn farming has long been positioned as a lower-cost protein source for rural communities away from the coast. Government attention to the sector comes as the cabinet continues to engage with the coastal fisheries lobby on issues including Indian bottom trawling — recently revived by Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar’s direct outreach to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay.
Source: Newswire.
