Are the stilt fishermen on the south coast real or staged for tourists

Honestly, almost entirely staged now. Real stilt fishing was a post-WWII adaptation, mostly already faded out, and a tsunami damaged what was left. Today, men who own the stilts climb up around sunrise/sunset specifically when tourist vans pull in along the Koggala-Weligama stretch, pose with empty lines, and expect roughly 500 to 1000 rupees per person for photos. If you want the picture, treat it as paying for a performance: agree the price BEFORE shooting (per person, not per camera), tip a little extra for a good pose, and accept it for what it is. If you want a glimpse of more authentic fishing, the lagoon and beach seine nets at dawn around Negombo or the east coast are real working scenes.