At dawn each morning, Joseph Anton sets off for Negombo Lagoon in his tiny catamaran, looking for his daily catch. Skillfully navigating the waters with a wooden paddle, he takes time to attend to the mangroves he and fellow fishermen have planted and preserved for several decades.
The 59-year-old Catholic fisherman, a member of St. Mary’s Church in Negombo, western Sri Lanka, says his mission in life has been to save and restore the mangrove forests. “We belong to the earth, but we do not own it and its resources,” says Anton.
A traditional fisherman, he knows the importance of mangroves in protecting the lagoon’s ecosystem, a breeding ground for various fish and other marine and non-marine species. Anton’s silent activism to conserve the dwindling mangrove cover began when he was a child.
His late father also worked alongside other fishermen to protect the lagoon and enhance its resources. “My father was deeply committed to growing mangroves, not only to boost our catches but also to safeguard the lagoon.”
Negombo Lagoon and the adjoining Muthurajawela wetland form a single ecosystem. The local fishermen have been planting and preserving mangrove forests in a nearby 35-square-kilometer area for generations. Colombo, the capital city, along with coastal regions in Sri Lanka, is surrounded by spacious natural wetlands linked to each other.
The Muthurajawela wetland offers multiple benefits. It absorbs flood water during high rainfall seasons and discharges it slowly into Negombo Lagoon, reducing the impact of flooding.
Sri Lanka was severely hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which devastated its coastline, leaving over 40,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. However, Negombo, located on the west coast, remained relatively unharmed. Its unique ecosystem kept away the tsunami’s waves that reached six meters high and swept inland up to five kilometers.
Today, the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon (MMNL), the nation’s largest saline coastal peat bog, is transforming into a rapidly developing urban area, making it an extremely vulnerable ecosystem.
Considerable changes have occurred to its biodiversity over the past few decades, warn environmentalists. These changes leading to habitat deterioration and destruction of species are profoundly worrying for fishermen like Anton.
Realizing the importance of conserving this combined ecosystem from human activities like building houses and holiday resorts, Anton has been leading groups of fishermen to grow mangroves along the lagoon banks. “Our mangrove forests have grown taller than us,” he declares proudly. The men do not fish on Sundays. After attending Mass with their families, they dedicate hours of hard work to preserving the mangroves.
“Coastal forests, with their dense mangrove roots, support organisms like crabs, shrimp, and fish while also preventing coastal erosion and protecting the shoreline from waves and storms,” said Anton, a former secretary of the Lagoon Development Authority. The body was established under a parliamentary law to help develop lagoons and increase fish production in the country.
Despite serving in a significant position, Anton prefers to dress in a simple T-shirt and sarong, which provides him comfort and ease while toiling in the tropical sun. However, it belies his leadership and contribution to mitigating the impacts of climate change in one of the most productive and sensitive ecosystems in his country.
Sri Lanka, a tropical island in the Indian Ocean, ranks among the top 10 nations most vulnerable to extreme weather events, according to the Global Climate Risk Index (GCRI). The nation faces severe environmental challenges, including the deforestation of lowland rainforests and the degradation of urban and coastal wetlands, threatening the ecological balance and the health of people and wildlife.
Fortunately, Sri Lanka is blessed with nearly 16,000 hectares of mangroves with 21 true mangrove species which is almost one-third of the global diversity. Preserving them can help prevent the erosion of lagoon estuaries, banks, and coastal areas. The government has been engaged in raising awareness, making public appeals through the media. Its latest television advertisement aired on Nov. 25 urged citizens to cultivate and protect mangrove forests…