Aquaculture Development Centre – Dambulla


The Aquaculture Development Centre at Dambulla was established in 1982. The Mahawali Authority established this centre with the financial assistance of the World Bank. It is situated around 150 km away from Colombo, along the Kurunagala-Dambulla road and covers an extent of 55 ha. The centre is located in a flat terrain below the earth dam of Ibbankatuwa reservoir. Therefore, availability of year round gravity fed water is the main advantage for the centre.

Facilities of this centre was expanded during 2004 – 2009 under the Asian Development Bank funded Aquatic Resource Development and Quality Improvement Project. The centre has breeding and rearing facilities for Indian Carps, Chinese Carps and Tilapia. In addition, the centre has training facilities to undertake training programs on aquaculture with practical sessions. At present, there are mud ponds, cement cubicles and a hatchery at this centre. In addition laboratory facilities and a unit for cryopreservation of fish gametes are also available at this centre. Details of the rearing facilities available in the Dambulla Centre are given in the table.
 
Rearing Facilities at Dambulla Center
  No. of ponds Area (m2)
Brood stock ponds / Carp
Brood stock ponds / Tilapia
Rearing ponds
Nursery ponds (Earthen ponds)
Nursery ponds (Cemented cubicles)		 10
10
10
20
40		 18,000
3,000
12,000
8,000
960
Total 90 41,960
 
 
Fish seed production (Mn)
Year Carp Tilapia
  PL Fry Fingerling Fry Fingerling
2005 16.56 7.75 1.18 0.42 0.20
2006 30.98 12.25 0.38 0.45 0.24
2007 30.59 13.17 1.94 1.01 0.26
2008 35.10 16.05 2.13 2.15 0.29
2009 36.87 17.01 2.51 4.42 0.53
2010 39.95 14.00 1.70 2.30 0.60
2011 47.78 15.47 1.9 2.73 1.25
2012 32.68 11.59 2.59 2.14 1.15
2013 46.32 20.06 5.95 8.21 3.11
2014 44.53 13.68 6.23 6.93 3.39
2015 39.36 13.54 9.201 9.28 4.186
2016 37.89 11.72 4.588 12.63 2.940
2017 42.63 16.31 2.367 11.32 4.131
2018 41.94 23.54 5.398 14.21 3.903
2019 41.41 13.86 3.07 20.57 3.47
2020 84.93 18.95 5.41 30.61 3.60
2021 84.92 21.42 4.93 33.40 2.77
2022 64.52 17.39 3.05 25.80 2.86
2023 42.85 9.57 1.46 30.24 4.03
           
 

 

Officer in Charge: Mr. P.R.D. Perera
Address: Aquaculture Development Centre, Ibbankatuwa, Dambulla
Contact No. : 066-2284764/ 066-3681547