PROJECT RECORD / 2025 DEDURU OYA · SRI LANKA

DADURU NAYA

Daduru Naya දැදුරු නයා

One day on the water. A much larger conversation

DATE 20 SEP 2025
ORGANIZER RECORD 1,250+ ANGLERS
TOTAL ATTENDANCE 1,500+
AWARENESS · COMMUNITY · TARGETED REMOVAL FREE ENTRY

01 / WHY IT BEGAN

A concern became a name. The name carried the issue wider

Daduru Naya did not begin with a tournament. It began with concern around Giant Snakehead at Deduru Oya. The first step was to make that concern visible. The second was to give it an identity people could remember

Giant Snakehead and Deduru Oya fishing context
THE WATERDEDURU OYA
TARGET SPECIES · GIANT SNAKEHEAD Channa micropeltes
01THE CONCERN

The concern was already in the water. What was missing was a wider conversation

Fishers and fisheries authorities were already raising concern around Giant Snakehead in the Deduru Oya system. Daduru Naya did not create the problem. It took an existing concern into public view through awareness, targeted removal and community participation

THE PROBLEMConcern already existed around Giant Snakehead at Deduru Oya.
THE PURPOSEMake the issue visible, understandable and participatory.
SPECIESGiant Snakehead LOCALරතු ලූලා
SRI LANKA MIRROR SRI LANKA
Fishing competition to target invasive Giant Snakehead in Deduru Oya READ ARTICLE
DAILY MIRROR SRI LANKA
Giant snakehead fishing contest VIEW COVERAGE
HIRU NEWS SRI LANKA
Prize-winning catch: Giant Snakehead fishing competition to be held in Deduru Oya READ ARTICLE
DAILY FT SRI LANKA
1,000 anglers join battle against invasive giant snakehead at Deduru Oya READ ARTICLE
REUTERS INTERNATIONAL
Sri Lankan anglers join fight against invasive giant snakehead fish READ REPORT
MALAY MAIL INTERNATIONAL
Sharp teeth, fast growth: Sri Lanka hooks anglers in nationwide campaign against invasive fish READ ARTICLE
eNCA INTERNATIONAL
Sri Lanka tries to hook anglers on invasive fish species READ ARTICLE
DAWN INTERNATIONAL
Sri Lanka tries to hook anglers on invasive fish species READ ARTICLE
THE STAR INTERNATIONAL
Reeling in anglers with cash to curb predatory fish READ ARTICLE
PHYS.ORG AFP
Sri Lanka tries to hook anglers on invasive fish species READ ARTICLE

02 / FROM IDENTITY TO ACTION

A public identity was only the beginning. The campaign had to turn recognition into action.

Once Daduru Naya had a recognizable identity, the next challenge was practical: explain the issue, make participation clear, answer the small questions and coordinate the people and institutions carrying the day

01OFFICIAL FILM

Before people could act, they needed one story they could understand

The official film brought the concern, the Daduru Naya identity and the purpose of the initiative into one public reference. It gave anglers, families, media and supporters the same starting point

WHY IT MATTERED

Shared understanding had to come before participation.

THE SCALE IT BUILT TOWARD20 SEP 2025 · DEDURU OYA
EXPECTED 250–400
ANGLERS 1,250+
TOTAL ATT. 1,500+
ENTRY FREE
OFFICIAL FILM01 / 04
DADURU NAYA · ONE YEAR LATER20 SEPTEMBER 2026

The memories live on.

A year on, your memories brought us together again. Meet the five people selected in our anniversary draw and everyone who shared a piece of the story

The five winners

  • Aloka VishalAnniversary draw winner
  • Fahim Fox Eye CctvAnniversary draw winner
  • පසිදු රවිශ්කAnniversary draw winner
  • Hasara MenukaAnniversary draw winner
  • Samitha RanasingheAnniversary draw winner
The community behind the memoriesExplore the names recorded for the anniversary draw64
64 recorded names
  • Asha Abesirivardhana
  • Malinda Heamantha
  • Premil Amarasingha
  • Savishka Manoj
  • Geeth Madusanka
  • Lakmal Fernando
  • D Prasanna D Prasanna
  • Ruwan Ruwan
  • Sandaru L Gunarathna
  • Isuru Lakmal
  • As Ashkar
  • Insaf Iqbal
  • Rumesh Priyanga
  • Asha Úh
  • Dasun Sandaruwan
  • Uditha Bandara
  • Pathum Shammika
  • Pathum Ariyarathna
  • Krishan Daniels
  • Hasara Menuka
  • Sampath Thilakarathne
  • Lasindu Neshan
  • Dilan Chathuranga
  • HK Rajapaksha
  • Sewwandi Dissanayake
  • Chathura Dushmantha
  • Kalana Shanilka
  • Gaya Shan
  • Aravinda Perera
  • Damith Maduranga
  • Lucky Cat
  • Mohammad Anas
  • Deshitha Sri
  • Pasan Abishek
  • Anjelo Daniels
  • Hiru Shan
  • Sanda Kelum
  • Diniru Vihansith
  • Chathuka Diwasana
  • Janidu Damsara Millaniyage
  • Lakshitha Deshan
  • Lakshitha Pathiraja
  • Sriyan Janaka
  • Tharindu Pathirana
  • Asitha Madushan
  • Isanka Dilshan
  • Kalum Deshapriya
  • Anuhas N Weer
  • Abiashwin Vijay
  • Suneth Thushara
  • Ishanka Dissanayaka
  • Abishek Nelson
  • Sandun S Lakmal
  • Farhim Fox Eye Cctv
  • Anil Akurugoda
  • Usira P Indiwara
  • Dinesh Suranga
  • Aloka Vishal
  • Nishantha Thannakoon
  • Chanaka Dilruk
  • Udesh Prema Kumara
  • Samitha Ranasinghe
  • පසිදු රවිශ්ක
  • Priyasad Rukunayaka

Daduru Naya · Anniversary draw

Thank you to everyone who shared their memories with us.
20 SEP 2025 · DEDURU OYA
AFTER THE TOURNAMENT

THE RECORD AFTER THE DAY

The day ended. The issue stayed visible

Daduru Naya was never presented as a one-day solution. The purpose was to bring an existing fisheries concern into public view strongly enough that people would notice it, engage with it and keep the conversation moving

WHAT CONTINUED

Attention outlived the event

After 20 September, anglers kept returning to Deduru Oya. Catches continued to be photographed, filmed and shared. Fishing content around the area became easier to find, and activity around tackle, angling and the local value of the catch continued to develop

That continuing activity belongs to the anglers, creators, businesses and communities building it. What Daduru Naya can say more simply is this: the issue did not disappear when the tournament banners came down

A CAREFUL DISTINCTION

One event cannot claim every development that followed. This section records sustained attention around the fishery, not ownership of everything that came after it

SIGNS OF CONTINUITY 3 / RECORDED SIGNALS
01

Anglers kept returning

The water continued drawing anglers after the tournament date, keeping the species and the fishery in public view.

02

Catches kept circulating

Photos, videos and fishing content continued to put real catches in front of new audiences.

03

Activity kept developing

Around the fishery, tackle activity, content and ways for anglers to connect their catch with local value continued taking shape.

LIVING RECORD

A collage of catches and angler activity shared after the one-day tournament, a visual record of attention continuing around the fishery.

WHAT REMAINED

The fish was not eliminated. The silence around the issue was broken!

That is the measure this project can stand behind: not a claim of eradication, but a concern that became visible enough to keep being seen, discussed and acted around