Cold chains, hot problems: Fixing Sri Lanka’s fisheries — from catch to export

If fishermen lack ice, insulated containers, or basic handling training, the product’s value drops fast 

Sri Lanka’s seas are generous. From the glittering yellowfin and skipjack that fuel the tuna industry to succulent shrimp and colourful ornamental fish, the island’s marine harvests are a cornerstone of coastal livelihoods and a visible export earner. Yet much of that promise leaks away between the boat and the buyer: fish that spoil before they reach processing, chilled boxes that never arrive, small-scale fishers locked out of premium markets because of paperwork or a missing HACCP certificate. If the island wants fisheries to be a resilient, high-value engine for rural incomes, tackling the cold-storage, freezing and export chain is not optional—it’s urgent. 

This article walks through the key problems that hobble Sri Lanka’s fisheries value chain and—critically—details practical, evidence-based ways to fix them. The tone is hopeful but honest: many solutions are low-tech and high-impact, but they require coordination, some investment and a fresh focus on first-mile losses.

What’s at stake: more than fish

Think of the fisheries cold-chain like a leaky pipe. The catch is the inlet; the consumer market is the tap. Every hole in the pipe—bad handling, no ice, unreliable power, poor logistics—wastes the resource and the income tied to it. For smallholders and coastal communities, these losses are the difference between profit and indebtedness. For exporters and the national economy, failing to meet sanitary standards or to maintain product quality means lost contracts, rejected consignments and reputational damage that is hard to repair.

Addressing cold-storage and freezing isn’t just about installing a freezer. It’s about reducing post-harvest loss, unlocking premium markets, making energy use sustainable and creating reliable logistics that respect both the sea and the supermarket shelf.

The main problems — quick tour

1. High post-harvest losses at landing sites and on boats. Fish begin to deteriorate minutes after capture. If fishermen lack ice, insulated containers, or basic handling training, the product’s value drops fast. For multiday fleets that return late or land remote catches, the problem is amplified.

2. Uneven cold-chain infrastructure. Cold stores and IQF (Individual Quick Freeze) facilities are concentrated in urban and port areas. Many landing sites have no pre-coolers, no blast freezers and no easy access to refrigerated transport.

3. Electricity reliability and cost. Refrigeration is hungry for power. Frequent outages, high diesel and electricity costs, and dependence on expensive backup generation make operating cold stores risky and expensive.

4. Fragmented producers and limited access to finance. Small, dispersed fishers and micro-processors lack capital to buy pre-coolers, insulated boxes, or refrigerated vehicles. They struggle to aggregate volume for efficient processing and export.

5. Skills and quality control gaps. Proper chilling, hygienic processing and traceability require trained technicians and managers. Outside the main processing hubs, these skills are in short supply.

6. SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) and certification hurdles. Export markets demand HACCP, traceability and often third-party certifications. Noncompliance can lead to rejections and loss of access to lucrative markets like the EU, US and Japan.

7. Logistics bottlenecks and paperwork delays. Limited refrigerated trucking, port handling inefficiencies and slow documentation processes push up time and cost.

8. Climate and seasonality. Extreme weather, changing fish distribution and seasonal gluts complicate storage and market planning.

Why simple fixes matter: a few real examples

A portable ice machine at a busy landing site can transform incomes overnight. Rather than waiting hours without proper cooling, fishers can ice catch on arrival, reducing bacterial growth and maintaining flesh quality. A small blast freezer in a regional hub allows fillets to be IQF-frozen and packed for export within the critical 24–48 hour window—turning low-value whole fish into higher-margin fillets and value-added products.

Similarly, a cooperative that aggregates catch from ten small landing sites can negotiate a single refrigerated truck to a port, dramatically lowering per-kg transport cost and reducing spoilage that would have occurred if each fisher tried to move product separately.

These aren’t theoretical. Practical investments in first-mile cooling and aggregation regularly show the fastest return on investment in fisheries value-chains worldwide — and Sri Lanka is no different.

How to fix it: a pragmatic roadmap

Below are high-impact interventions arranged by time horizon: quick wins, medium term, and structural changes. Each item is actionable and designed to combine the realities of Sri Lankan fisheries — small boats, seasonal supply, and export standards—with global best practice.

Short-term (0–12 months): plug the biggest leaks

1. Deploy portable icing and pre-cooling units at priority landing sites

•   Target the highest-loss landing sites first. Portable ice plants, insulated boxes, and solar-powered chillers can be placed quickly.
•  Pair equipment deployment with training on handling and temperature monitoring.

2. Fund cooperative aggregation hubs

•  Support fisher cooperatives to lease or co-own refrigerated vans and communal pre-coolers. This reduces per-unit costs and increases bargaining power.

3. HACCP starter packages and rapid training

•  Offer “HACCP starter” grants or low-cost consultancy for small processors: templates, checklist, and quick certification pathways. Compliance reduces market rejections rapidly.

4. Introduce simple digital traceability pilots

• Basic QR-code based logs that record boat, catch time, and chilling start time help buyers trust product origin and handling.

Medium-term (1–3 years): scale and stabilise

1. Build regional cold-storage & IQF hubs

•  Invest in a handful of strategically placed regional hubs offering blast freezing, filleting and packing services. These hubs should be accessible to clusters of landing sites and connected to main transport corridors.

2. Finance instruments for SMEs

•  Create leasing schemes or blended finance (donor + commercial) for small processors to obtain IQF freezers, insulated trucks and packaging lines. Consider equipment leasing to lower entry barriers.

3. Improve energy resilience

• n Encourage hybrid energy systems (solar + battery + grid) for remote cold stores to reduce fuel costs and improve uptime. Implement energy-efficiency standards for new cold-storage builds.

4. Strengthen refrigerated logistics networks

• Incentivise third-party refrigerated trucking through guaranteed contract volumes or tax incentives. Build refrigerated container staging areas at ports to reduce handling time.

Long-term (3–7 years): transform the value chain

1. National traceability and certification framework

•  Develop a national digital traceability standard and a streamlined pre-export inspection system that is accepted by major markets. This lowers transaction costs for exporters and makes compliance predictable.

2. Value-addition and market diversification

•  Support entrepreneurs to create shelf-stable or semi-prepared products (e.g., marinated fillets, canned or retort tuna), which reduce cold-chain pressure and open new markets.

3. Climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure

•  Upgrade landing sites with storm-resilient storage and raised platforms; embed climate risk assessments into port and hub planning.

4. Human capital and vocational training

•  Institutionalise fisheries cold-chain modules in technical colleges and run on-site apprenticeship programs with processing hubs.

Policy nudges that amplify impact

Governments don’t have to pay for everything. Smart public policy can unlock private capital and encourage good practice.

•  Targeted subsidies and tax incentives - Offer temporary tax breaks or lower tariffs on refrigeration equipment and components to reduce initial capital costs.
•  Public-private partnerships (PPPs) - Use PPPs to build and operate regional hubs; public funds reduce risk and private operators bring efficiency.
•  Standards and predictable inspection - Streamline export inspection processes and provide exporters with clear, up-front checklists and fast pre-inspection to reduce delays at the port.
•  Data and market intelligence - Regularly publish export rejection reasons, market price windows and seasonal forecasts so producers can plan and buyers can trust quality.

A human face: why communities matter

Technical fixes are necessary, but they must be socially inclusive. Many fishers are women or belong to small coastal communities where trust is the currency of cooperation. Successful programs pair hardware (ice machines, freezers) with capacity-building and simple governance rules for cooperatives. Where this social capital exists, investments flow further: higher compliance, better aggregation and ultimately steadier incomes.

Policy should aim to reduce the barriers women face in accessing equipment and credit; many value-chain segments (sorting, packing, ornamental fish breeding) are often female-dominated and respond well to small, targeted finance and training.

Risks and how to manage them

No strategy is risk-free. Here are common pitfalls and mitigations:

• Overbuilding at the wrong sites - Don’t place a large IQF plant where supply is inconsistent. Use phased development based on demonstrated aggregation capacity.
• Energy cost shocks - Favor energy-efficient systems and consider long-term power purchase agreements or hybrid renewables for remote hubs.
• Regulatory complexity - Work with exporters to co-design inspection processes to avoid sudden rule changes that cause shipments to be rejected.
• Market demand shifts - Encourage product diversification so the sector isn’t reliant on a single market or product type.

Measuring success: simple indicators

To know whether interventions work, track a few measurable indicators:

• Reduction in post-harvest loss percentage at target landing sites.
• Number of small producers using aggregation hubs.
• Export rejection rates and reasons.
• Average time from catch to freezing (hours).
• Energy cost per kg of frozen product.
• Increase in value per kg for processors (indicating successful value addition).

These metrics are practical, verifiable and directly tied to incomes.

Final word: urgency with common sense

Sri Lanka’s fisheries are at a crossroads. Global demand for responsibly produced, traceable seafood is growing—and buyers are willing to pay a premium for quality and consistency. But premium prices will only flow to producers who can prove cold-chain integrity and sustain it reliably.

Fixing the cold-storage, freezing and export chain is both a technical challenge and a governance puzzle. The good news is that many of the highest-value fixes are straightforward and affordable: better icing, smarter aggregation, a few regional hubs, practical training, and policies that unlock finance. When combined, these steps stop the leaks and turn fish into reliable export revenue, better pay for coastal families and a more resilient sector in the face of climate shocks.

If you’re working on a policy brief, an investment pitch, or a community project, start with a rapid mapping of the worst-loss landing sites and the cooperatives that could act as aggregation anchors—those two pieces alone will tell you where to spend the first ringgit, rupee, or dollar to get the fastest change.

Seafood is perishable, but the opportunity isn’t. With targeted investment, smarter logistics, and people-centred design, Sri Lanka can turn a chain of losses into a chain of added value.

(The writer is the Founder and CEO of Noteworthy Global, a UK-based investment firm connecting high-potential projects with forward-thinking investors. A clean tech and ESG advocate with 20+ years in IT project management, he bridges global investment, technology, and sustainability to deliver measurable social, environmental, and financial impact. Contact: [email protected])