Lanka to lead FAO Fisheries Committee

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka was elected to the chairmanship of the FAO Fisheries Committee for the next two years at its meeting in Rome recently. Accordingly, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry Director General A. Hettiarachchi who represented Sri Lanka at the meeting took over the chairmanship.

Representatives of 131 countries and several NGOs attended the Rome meeting. Hettiarachchi said the FAO Fisheries Committee decided to take stern action to prevent fish harvested by poachers in international waters reaching the market.

It was also decided to rehabilitate the fishing industry devasted by the tsunami and improve the quality of low standard fishing boats received by fishermen under tsunami aid.