The past 75 years in Sri Lanka have seen a shift in tenure rights in small-scale fisheries, heralding a new era. 

Tenure rights have a strong influence on access, use, management and conservation of aquatic resources. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines tenure rights in fishing as “how marine and inland capture fisheries are accessed, used, and managed using various types of rights-based approaches.” Under the Village Communities Ordinance, passed in 1889 by the colonial government, management decisions were made at the local level, respecting the traditional norm of equal access to resources and equal income earning opportunities to all.

Artisanal and small-scale fishers, both marine and inland, continued to enjoy their customary rights to fish resources and the beach; the violation of such rights were rare. In a context of low population pressure and relatively ‘abundant’ resources, there was no need either for access rules or conservation rules.