Fisheries Ministry to establish Technical Monitoring System

Shirley Wijesinghe

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Plans to establish a Technical Monitoring System (TMS) to observe all poaching vessels in the economic marine region of Sri Lanka.

Preliminary discussions to get foreign grants from the Government of Austria was held recently said Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Felix Perera. The Technical Committee appointed for the proposed TMS is functional at present, said Minister Perera.

He added that foreign vessels which enter our economic marine region without permission, would try to reap our fish and marine resources without permission even though we are not in a position to take them into custody.

The Minister expressed his confidence about overcoming these difficulties after establishing the proposed monitoring system. The legal provisions to establish a TMS for the protection of the marine resources of every country has been provided by the United Nations Agency for International Marine Law.

Minister Perera also instructed all responsible officers of the Committee to expedite the process without further delay.