Samidugama lagoon community life adversely affected with saltern

Mundel lagoon provide livelihoods for more than 2000 families who are living in the villages around the lagoon.
Samidugama, Kattaikaduwa, Vattuwan, Poonapitiya, Akkarapaha and more village people depend on their daily income, fish or shrimps for feed the family and for dry fish production if excess catch available.
Women and children were able to catch shrimps for their daily consumption which provided cheap protein nutrition in the past. Moreover, lagoon fishermen were able to run theie families with their daily catch.
However situation changed with the construction of prawn farms all around the lagoon. Mangroves were cut. Access to lagoons were disturbed and blocked. Chemicals added to the prawn farms are discharged to lagoon water hence polluted the lagoon, shrimp farm salinated water trickled down to water and drinking water became salinated and arised water problems.
Some government and NGO schemes were launched to replant mangroves with educating lagoon communitiez of importance of Mangrove eco system.
However, Mundel lagoon face another threat with the new hazardus industry which implement violating all the environmental and civil rules.

Mangalaeliya, Samidugama lagoon fisher people are facing serious social, economic and environmental adverse effects due to  saltern construction by an investor at the moment. The investor brought the villagers who protested peacefully against the destruction. The villagers were accused and filed a case against 17 persons claiming  illegal entry into private property and disturbed their development work.
NAFSO team together with Puttlam district fisheries solidarity mediated to motivate and mobilize them for coordinated work.
Loyel Peiris, Coordinator PDFS said;
"NAFSO is not an organization with money to distribute among you, the affected community. We work for ensure the rights of the marginalized people, fisher people in particular. We want you to get organize first then join with neghboring communities. We will facilitate your efforts and we do not lead your struggle. It is people them selves who take the leadership and all the hardships when they won the struggles."
"We expect you to take the leadership of this effort too." Added Loyel.
Niroshan Fernando, the chair person of the Samidugama lagoon fisheries society explained how the politicians engage hand in hand with the businessman to exploite the lagoon and mangrove reservation which allocated land for bird sanctuary.
The next court case will be on 4th December and basic organizing work will be carried out within November.