To many, the true aftermath of the Tsunami was not about the change in the amount of available fish in the sea, but the number of boats being put on the water and their ownership. Boat building projects were the most popular form of assistance to the Tsunami victims provided by international organizations and individuals who were concerned that direct cash contributions might end up being misused. Unfortunately, the lack of coordination and transparency in aid distribution coupled with the poor official records of small-scale fishers meant that the number of boats post-Tsunami was higher than before, and several boats were given to non-fishers. While the case of the bona fide fishers having to rent boats from non-fishers is not as common as in other countries facing similar problems (like Indonesia and Bangladesh), rental and
sales of the new fishing boats were major factors enabling newcomers, legal and illegal migrants to enter the fisheries. It should be noted, however, that many of these boats ended up not being used, not only because of the lack of engine which
few people donated, but because of their poor quality. Wooden boats, for example, were built in haste using woods that were not sufficiently dried. Fishers also indicated that they did not like fiberglass boats that were often donated because they were heavy and too hot and slippery to operate in