In districts such as Mullaitivu, where mechanised seining is concentrated within 1.5 nautical miles of shore, tensions run high. Environmentalists point to coral reefs in Kalpitiya, among the country’s most prized, as evidence of damage. Divers employed by large-scale operators reportedly drive fish from coral shelters into waiting nets. When tractors tighten the mesh, broken coral is dragged ashore with the catch.