Rooted in Buddhist heritage, ancient craftsmanship, and an unbreakable bond with the Indian Ocean — a living story of resilience and ancestral knowledge.
Southern Sri Lanka's fishermen are Buddhist coastal communities who have fished for generations, handcrafting every piece of equipment. In Koggala Lake they built their own boats; for deep-sea fishing, large vessels known as "Wallama" — around 20 in use by the late 19th century, built from the Pulun plant.
Nets were decorated with feathers to attract and deceive fish. Canoes for deep-sea fishing were led by a master fisherman, the "Marakkala," often with young helpers catching eel and other species.
Bamboo tools, handmade nets and traps are still used in shallow coastal waters today, a direct continuation of older fishing methods.
These communities were skilled shipbuilders who traded with foreign countries; remnants of these vessels still lie beneath the southern seas today.
Fishing was governed by traditional rules and respect for nature — poles placed only in designated family-owned areas, certain knowledge never shared outside the community, preserving the ecosystem for centuries.
By the late 1800s, Wallama vessels — built from the Pulun plant — carried crews into deep waters for days, guided by the Marakkala's oral maps passed through generations.
Visitors to Maradurawala, Koggala and Habaraduwa can witness the iconic stilt fishermen balancing on planted poles. The community welcomes cultural explorers to learn about sustainable fishing methods, handcrafted equipment, and the Buddhist philosophy that respects every creature of the sea.
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