CCH – Prioritizing Options for Fish Fingerling Production

THE CHALLENGE

Sri Lankan rural communities heavily rely on state-sponsored activities for access to fish fingerlings, which are crucial for culture-based fisheries. These fisheries are vital for providing inexpensive protein, income, and employment to rural populations. However, a more effective system was needed to support the fingerling production and improve culture-based fisheries, as national and development budgets are often insufficient to meet all needs. As a result, establishing clear priorities became essential for ensuring the sustainable development of fisheries. .

THE ACTIONS

The Centre for Coastal Health (CCH) leveraged D-Sight’s collaborative decision-making software to implement a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) process. This participatory approach allowed stakeholders to determine methods for improving fingerling production systems in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Seven alternative production systems were evaluated and ranked based on their performance and ability to meet sustainable development and food security objectives. Through this data-driven analysis, CCH was able to engage stakeholders and explore various options.

THE RESULTS

Thanks to D-Sight Web, CCH successfully involved all stakeholders in the decision-making process and analyzed the performance of each production system. The transparency provided by the software enabled participants to understand the reasoning behind the final scores and rankings. The analysis showed that stakeholders preferred a collaborative approach at both the national and provincial levels. The preferred method for fingerling rearing involved national and provincial hatcheries, community-based organizations, and private pond owners working together to breed and nurture fish from post-larvae to fingerling stages. This consensus-driven process helped improve the efficiency of fingerling production and supported the development of culture-based fisheries in Sri Lanka.