Sri Lanka – the hard life of Negombo's fishermen
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A lot of work for very little: tightly packed, colourful fishing trawlers bob gently on the water in Negombo's Lellama harbour. Since the financial crisis in Sri Lanka intensified, things are not looking good for the fishermen who work here. After three weeks at sea, each returns home from the gruelling trip with just 40,000 Sri Lanka rupees (130 U.S. dollars) -
Sheer exhaustion: men sleep on the deck of a trawler. They already know that the wages of their work will not cover the costs of electricity, water, school fees or food. The island nation with 22 million inhabitants off the southern tip of India is struggling with the worst financial crisis since independence in 1948 -
Chill wind: a fisherman unloads fresh tuna at the fishing port of Lellama. Fishing accounts for only 1.3 percent of the Southeast Asian nation's economy, but employs a tenth of the population and helps feed far more people. The island exports its catch to a dozen countries, including the United States, Britain, China and Japan, representing 8 percent of its food exports -
The men at Lellama port pass containers of fuel. Diesel and petrol have become expensive and, above all, scarce. While in the commercial capital Colombo protesters have secured the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa – because of poor governance and financial management – people here are somehow trying to keep their heads above water -
Uncertain future: fisherman G.K Chaminda with his wife Mary Dilani and their two children in their house on Negombo beach. Many families do not know how to cope with the situation. Some say they have reduced their food intake or stopped repaying loans. But what they all have in common is the constant search for fuel for their boat and house – and the hope for better times for their children