Iratiya
ඉරටිය
This traditional fishing gear is one of the oldest methods used by inland fishing communities in Sri Lanka. It is primarily operated in small watercourses connecting lagoons, tanks, rivers, and marshes, particularly during the rainy season when water levels rise and fish migrate downstream with the flowing water.
The gear is positioned horizontally across a narrow watercourse so that it intercepts fish moving with the current. As fish pass through the channel, they become trapped in the net or collecting section of the gear, allowing fishermen to harvest them efficiently. This method is especially effective during periods of heavy rainfall, when increased water flow stimulates the seasonal migration of many freshwater and brackish-water fish species.
The fishing gear is simple to construct using locally available materials and requires little maintenance or operating cost. Because it relies on the natural movement of fish rather than active pursuit, it is considered a passive fishing method. It is commonly used to catch a variety of freshwater fish and juvenile fish species moving between connected water bodies.
Although the use of this traditional fishing gear has declined with the introduction of modern fishing equipment, it remains an important part of Sri Lanka’s inland fishing heritage. The method reflects the traditional ecological knowledge of local fishing communities, who have long adapted their fishing practices to seasonal water flows and fish migration patterns.
මෙම ධීවර ආම්පන්නය ඉතාමත් පැරණි එකකි. මෙය කලපුවක් ආශ්රිතව හෝ වැවක් ආශ්රිතව හෝ ඇති කුඩා ජලය බැස යන ස්ථානයක හරස් අතට රඳවා ජල පහර දිගේ පහළට එන මසුන් අල්ලා ගැනීම සඳහා යොදාගනී. විශේෂයෙන්ම වැසි කාලවලදීත් මෙම පන්න ක්රමය භාවිතා කරන අතර කුඩා දිය බැස යන ස්ථානවල එය සිදු කෙරේ.