Indian Ocean An untapped resource

Professor Ranjith Senaratne

The National Institute of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering (Sagara Vishwa Vidyalaya) coming under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was founded by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 1999 when he was the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

This is the premier educational and training institute in Sri Lanka mandated to producing requisite manpower for the sustainable management and utilization of fisheries, marine and maritime resources. Since its inception, it has been conducting a wide range of vocational courses through its eight colleges, imparting necessary knowledge and skills and transferring new technology and know-how for the benefit of those engaged in Fisheries and allied fields.

In keeping with the founding principle of the Institute, a laddering system has been developed enabling those with appropriate vocational qualifications to enroll for degree programs at NIFNE without going through the GCE (A/L).

This has opened up a new avenue, an alternate pathway for the youth in the fisheries and allied fields to read for degree programs in Fisheries & Marine Science and Marine Engineering at NIFNE. In order to better cater to the current and emerging man power needs in the rapidly growing and expanding Fisheries, Marine and Maritime Sectors of the country, the NIFNE is being transformed into a full-fledged Ocean University. This would-be university will offer a wide range of novel and innovative vocational courses and degree programs.

Production of requisite trained manpower through theses courses would lead to sustainable management and exploitation of the marine and maritime resources of the country, transforming it to a developed nation. Our intention is to make the Sagara Viswa Vidyala a global leader in education, training, extension and research in Marine and Maritime Sciences in keeping with the vision of the President, the founder of this Institute.

Exclusive Economic Zone of Sri Lanka - an ocean of resources and opportunities

Sri Lanka currently possesses a territorial sea of 21,500 square km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 517,000 square km up to 200 nautical miles from the coastal line. The EEZ amounts to about eight times the size of the land mass of the country. Sri Lanka enjoys the rights to the resources in the water column, sea bed and sub-surface in the EEZ. Thus, only about 12 percent of the area of our motherland is above water while about 88 percent is under water.

Under the UN Law of the Sea, Sri Lanka is entitled to claim for an extended area of seabed where the thickness of the sediment layer exceeds one km. This claim has been made to the UN, and if accepted, Sri Lanka could gain an additional seabed area. Therefore the EEZ is likely to expand further with the delimitation of the outer edge of the continental margin of the country, which would permit Sri Lanka to own an EEZ equivalent to 23 times (approximately 1.400,000 square km) it’s the land mass.

The EEZ is endowed with a myriad of living, i.e. fishes and plants, and non-living resources, i.e. minerals and hydrocarbons (oil and gas), of great economic value. In regard to the fish, over 600 coastal and nearly 100 pelagic (free-swimming species that live near the surface of sea water) species have been reported in the coastal waters and high seas, respectively in Sri Lanka.

In addition, some 60 species of sharks and over 200 species of demersal fin and shellfish have been reported in the oceanic waters around Sri Lanka. However, we are currently exploiting mainly the pelagic species while those living near the seabed (semi-demersal species) and at the sea bottom (demersal species) are hardly exploited.

Sri Lanka because of its strategic position in the Indian Ocean has easy access to marine resources as well as to the consumer markets in Europe and Japan. However, the fisheries resources in the high seas (beyond EEZ), including high value tuna are not harnessed for want of fishing vessels with requisite facilities and capabilities.

Therefore, in addition to about 1200 multi-day boats, it is intended to introduce about 100 units of a new class of vessels (about 25 meter long) equipped with line haulers, refrigeration and storage facilities, modern navigation and communication equipment, accommodation and other facilities for crew members in line with the international regulations. Each vessel is expected to produce about 250 tons of high value fish per year. This will enable harvesting high value tuna, lobsters and other such fish species exploiting a hitherto untapped huge potential.

Sea weeds are yet another biological material of great economic potential. There are about 9200 seaweed species in the world of which over 200 are economically important; of these some are edible while others have industrial applications. The global seaweed industry has an annual value exceeding US$ 6 billion. In Asia, seaweeds account for over one third of the aquaculture production. The 1700 km long coastal belt and unpolluted sea coupled with rich biodiversity in Sri Lanka offer great potential for seaweed cultivation. Promising species of Gracilaria, Ulva, Sargassum etc., have been found in coastal waters.

Therefore it becomes necessary to develop and conduct necessary awareness and training programs on seaweed culture, imparting necessary knowledge and skills to the people particularly those living by the coastal belt. With the burgeoning demand for sea weeds in the world market, seaweed culture could become a lucrative cottage industry, offering attractive employment opportunities particularly for the youth and women.

Investigations carried out have also revealed that the EEZ contains a variety of exploitable minerals and hydrocarbons. Deposits containing titanium, zirconium, thorium, potassium, cobalt, nickel, copper, manganese etc., which are of great economic value and industrial potential have already been discovered. International Energy Agency has recognized the Indian sub-continent as a petroleum hotspot in the world, and India has made many on-shore and off-shore discoveries of petroleum resources. As Sri Lanka shares the same geological history with India, it has a great potential for petroleum in its off-shore basins.

Investigations carried out by a Norwegian Geophysical Company, TGS-NOPEC, has identified the Mannar Basin as a high potential petroleum area. Block Nos. 1 and 8 of this Basin have been offered to India and China, respectively. Cairn India (Pvt.) Ltd., has won the bid for the Block No. 2, and as per the Petroleum Resources Agreement signed with the Sri Lankan Government, the exploration company should give preference to Sri Lankan candidates in recruiting staff for exploratory work.

Here trained manpower in fields such as Marine Geology, Petroleum Geology, Geophysics, Petrophysics, Acquisition, Processing and Analysis of Seismic Data, Energy Economics, Law of the Sea etc. prove important.

However, acute dearth of Sri Lankans with necessary competencies and experience in such fields has posed a serious problem for the upstream development of petroleum industry in Sri Lanka. At present, none of the universities in Sri Lanka offers courses related this industry which has a huge potential. In order for our country to derive maximum benefits from this industry, we need to produce requisite trained manpower locally. The Sagara Wisva Vidyalaya will rise to the occasion, responding to this important national need.

In addition to the said biological and chemical resources, there also lies a hitherto untapped huge potential of physical resources such as tides, waves, wind etc. These renewable energy sources are assuming increasing importance in the global energy budget in view of global warming. Sri Lanka, being an island nation, has bright prospects for harnessing such energy to augment the national energy budget. With increasing emphasis being placed on renewable energy sources, such aspects decidedly merit attention in future.

Historically Sri Lanka had been known as the gateway to the Orient due to its being located close to the silk route/international shipping lane. With the development of Harbour in Singapore, Sri Lanka has lost that edge. Presently around 200 vessels go past Hambantota daily.

However, with the commissioning of the Hambantota Port, a large number of those ships will call at this port daily. Therefore, Hambantota port will become the shipping and logistical hub in the region before long.

Moreover with the increasing investment of the Government in commercial ports such as Colombo, Trincomalee, Oluvil, Kankasanthurai and Galle, the Ports and Shipping Sector could potentially contribute up to 15 percent of the national GDP in time to come. However, to realize this potential, we need to provide state-of-the-art service in bunkering, loading, off-loading, transshipment, logistics, maritime transportation management, ship repair and maitenance, catering and provision of other connected services.

This will demand a competent workforce comprising skilled workers as well as technical and managerial staff in order to maintain this hub in a competitive manner. It is estimated that nearly 1.5 million direct job opportunities will be created following the development of the Ports and Shipping sector of the country.

With the dawn of peace in the country after a period of nearly three decades, two third of the coastal belt of the country has been again made available not only for fisheries, but also for maritime recreation and sea sports.

World-class beaches at Aru-gambe, Palsikuda, Nilaweli etc. in the East Coast along with wonderful opportunities for surfing, dolphin and whale watching, underwater safari, deep sea diving etc. will attract a lot of tourists from home and abroad. Therefore maritime recreation and sea sports sector while creating a lot of employment opportunities, could become an important foreign exchange earner for the country.

Sagara Vishva Vidyalaya and Economic Development

It is amply evident from the foregoing that the Ocean offers a wide range of invaluable resources such as biological, chemical, fisheries and maritime resources, and recreational opportunities, which hitherto remain under-exploited or untapped. Sustainable management and exploitation of these resources and opportunities will give birth to a wide range of industries, creating innumerable employment opportunities and earning valuable foreign exchange for the country. This will undoubtedly transform Sri Lanka to a developed nation

The policy document released recently by the Government extending Mahinda Chitanaya has laid a great deal of emphasis on this vital aspect.

The Sagara Visha Vidyalaya, the apex national institution mandated to producing requisite manpower for the sustainable management and utilization of oceanic and other allied resources, is fully conscious of, and alive to, its commitment to the nation in this crucial hour. It will rise to the occasion, marshalling all necessary human and physical resources to produce trained manpower to cater to the current and emerging needs in the fisheries, marine and maritime sectors of the country.

To this end, in addition to drawing on the rich and diverse intellectual and infrastructure resource base in institutions such as Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Aquatic Resources and Development Agency, National Aquaculture Development Authority, Coast Conservation Department, Ceylon Fisheries Harbours Corporation, Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, Cey-Nor Foundation Ltd. etc. of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, universities, private sector etc., Sagara Vishwa Vidyalaya has established links with foreign universities and institutions of international repute in order to develop and deliver novel and innovative vocational and degree courses responding to the needs in the fisheries and allied sectors. In order to enhance the recognition and competitiveness of the courses offered by this institution, we have appointed foreign scientists of international repute as Visiting Professor. This will also help produce diplomates and graduates with global perspectives.

Some of the novel and innovative courses proposed to cater to the needs in the fisheries and allied sectors are given below:

Vocational courses

Skipper Training for Multi-day Boats, Deep Sea Fishing Technology/Long line Tuna Fishing Technology, Mariculture, Post-harvest Technology, Repair and Maintenance of Electrical System of Vessels, Marine Engineering, Underwater Welding, Marine Fitter, Life Saving and Scuba Diving, Marine Navigation, Maritime Recreation & Sea Sports, Fibreglass Technology & Boat Building, Harbour Management, Logistics and Warehouse Management, Coastal Zone Management, Safety at Sea, Sea Sports and Maritime Recreation, Maritime Law

Degree programs

Fisheries and Aquaculture, Marine Engineering, Naval Architecture, Marine Resource Engineering/Off-Shore Engineering, Marine Resource Management, International Maritime Transportation Management, Nautical Science

Development and delivery of the above courses will enable Sagara Vishva Vidyaslaya to attract foreign students as well. Production of trained manpower through the conduct of courses relevant to the needs of the fisheries, marine and maritime sector would lead to properly harness the oceanic resources and maritime potential for the economic development and human well-being in Sri Lanka.

This will significantly enhance the contribution of not only the fisheries sector, bur also the Ports and Shipping Sector and Off-shore and Marine Engineering Sector to the Sri Lankan economy. Thus the Sagara Vishva Vidyalya, a Praja Sarasaviya (‘Communiversity’), will become a true and effective partner in propelling our motherland to a developed nation.

The writer is Chairman Sagara Vishwa Vidyalaya