Over 230m bonanza for fishermen

Rehabilitation of fishermen:

* Rs 230 million invested

* In line with 180 day accelerated program

* All required implements provided

* Fish fingerlings worth over 4 million

Shirley WIJESINGHE

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry has invested over Rs. 230 million to rehabilitate fishermen in the North who were denied their livelihoods due to terrorist activities, a Senior Ministry Official told the Daily News yesterday.

This investment has been placed in line with the 180-day accelerated program launched by the Government under the Uthuru Vasanthaya master development drive in the North. The projects have been planned in two stages under the 180 days program - middle term and long term before and after the resettlement. All the required boats , fishing gear and other implements related to rehabilitation have been provided to encourage their transformation after resettlement. The official said that fish fingerlings worth over 4.0 million had been provided to all reservoirs in the Northern province.

He said that under the middle-level plan, the Ministry will spend over Rs, 1,000 million to re-engineer their mode of life as a fishing community.

The Ministry has decided to obtain this money through foreign funds coming under the FAO\CIDA.

He also said facilities have been extended by the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation to market the surplus fish production in the Southern part of the country to uplift the economy of fishermen in the North.