Oh! Island in the sun
Negombo's fisherfolk continue their toil
Pix and story by Priyantha Wikramaarachchi
Elections are now over and the country has a new Government. Voters have sent their representatives to Parliament to serve them for the next five years. While the representatives sit in the hallowed chambers debating policies that affect the country, voters continue to live their lives.
For them, the daily struggle to make ends meet and ensure that they and their loved ones don’t go hungry continues. For these fishermen and fish vendors in Negombo, it is a difficult life. They work in the hot sun, drying their catch. They note that the price of fuel is too much, and hope the new Government can reduce fuel prices for fishermen, but don’t expect much from anyone.
They know that in the end, they cannot depend on anyone else to help them. They must help themselves.