Rs. 410m rehabilitated Kudawella Fishery Harbour opened

Shirley Wijesinghe

Moves are underway to bring qualitative improvement to the traditional fishery industry. As long as the fishery industry is stagnating without technical innovations the fishermen would never be free of their present plight, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera said.

The Minister was speaking at the opening of the Kudawella Fishery Harbour which was rehabilitated at a cost of Rs. 410 million financial assistance of the People Republic of China after being damaged by the Tsunami. "There are more institutions for providing modern technology to the

fishermen. Try to get their assistance to harvest maximum aquatic resources," Minister Perera appealed to the stakeholders on the fishery industry.

The Minister said that the Government will now be able to use the marine stretches which were threatened by terrorism during last two decades. It is a real blessing, he said.

Speaking on the current security operations launched by the Government, the Minister said nobody could stop the present victories. All leaders except President Mahinda Rajapaksa have been cheated by the LTTE Leadership.

President of the "Tharunyata Hetak" organisation Namal Rajapaksa said that the country's maritime resources should be properly utilised. The fishery community should be equipped with the modern technology.

He appealed all parties to unite with the Government without considering political colours.