Stilt Fishing in Sri Lanka Stilt Fishing, (Sinhala: රිටිපන්න ක්රමයට මසුන් ඇල්ලීම) also termed as Ritipanna Fishing , is a unique method of fishing that cannot be seen in any part of the world except on the southern coast of Sri Lanka from Galle to Matara (Deepananda et al., 2016; Zoysa & Epa, 2009). The history of stilt fishing is not clear (Nagodawithana, 1996). It has existed for more than 50 years and is considered an important part of the southern coastal economy (Zoysa & Epa, 2009). Although it is a limited form of fishing method and its production is very low, stilt fishing has presently become a tourist attraction due to its unique nature and fishermen earn extra money by charging the tourists (Nagodawithana, 1996). In this method, the fishermen sit on a crossbar called Petta tied to a vertical pole of 3-4 m long, which is driven into dead coral rock and carry out rod and line fishing (Deepananda et al., 2016; Nagodawithana, 1996). The Petta is tied at a height of about 2 m and the free end of it …
