Investigation of the Usage of Indigenous Knowledge by Fishers’ Community in Southern Province.

Abstract

An investigative study of the usage of Indigenous knowledge among fishers` community has been made by this research based on several Gramasewaka divisions of Dickwella divisional secretariat division in Matara district of Southern province. It was able to investigate how fishers use their traditional methods in fisheries industry, how they protect Indigenous knowledge related to their industry and the way of using unique traditional methods of selected area. Traditional knowledge, also known as indigenous knowledge is a cultural heritage endemic to races in every human society. This gift is an experience of ancient usage. There is a tradition sculpted by oral knowledge, observations and the usage. Methods used by humans to do their day to day activities by being friendly to the environment were cleared under this investigation and there were some long term methods also. Fisheries were not developed as an industry until the establishment of open economic system and they had done fisheries only to fulfill their requirements. Ancient attitudes of fishers` community have been commercialized as a result of the expansion of social, economic & business attitudes with the implementation of open economic policies. A special attention has been made to find out the present usage & existence of the management seen in traditional knowledge of fisheries. Analysis of primary sources, interviewing method and spot observation were used as the methodology. It can be seen that the native system of knowledge has been upgraded with new technologies and both traditional & modernized methods are being used. Taking steps to file accurate information collected by experiments can be taken as a suggestion to protect Indigenous knowledge for future generations. Declination of the usage of traditional native tools & instruments with modernization is a main weakness which was observed by field analysis. So protecting those tools & instruments related to Indigenous knowledge inside a museum will allow future generations to make observations on them. It was able to observe the Indigenous knowledge of fishers` community of Dickwella divisional secretariat division from this investigative study. Finally many conclusions and suggestions were made out to protect whole indigenous knowledge.