New look St. John’s fish market to be relocated at Peliyagoda

Shirley Wijesinghe

Sri Lanka’s premier fish retailer, the St. John’s fish market at Pettah is being converted into a state-of-the art complex at a relocated site Peliyagoda adjacent to the Colombo Katunayake expressway on a 3.17 hectare block of land.

More than 30 percent of the fish production in the country will be distributed through out the country centering St. John’s fish market which is being built at a cost of Rs. 1500 million.

Over 200 metric tons of fish was being handled daily by this central fish market and both people and traders faced more difficulties and hardship due to inadequate space and poor maintenance.

The proposed fish market will provide facilities to minimize post harvest waste, introduce hygienic handling systems and up to date marketing techniques.

The new fish market will provide facilities to handle 500 metric tons of fish within the ground space of 94,688 sq.ft.

The whole sale division of the market comprises of 148 sales chambers and a retail sales division with 136 sales chambers.

The construction of a 25 ton capacity ice manufacturing plant will also be included in the project.

Three cool rooms, a waste disposal plant, a waste treatment plant and 500 Kw eclectic power generator will also be built at theproposed fish market.