Over 54,000 join Fisheries Federation

Chamikara Weerasinghe

Over 54,000 fishermen have joined the National Fisheries Federation since its inception in August.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said the Ministry has established 833 federation branches for the past three months.

The Federation was formed on the initiative of Minister Senaratne to uplift living standards of fishing communities. This is in keeping with the Mahinda Chintana policy to strengthen fishermen by incorporating them to function under one flag, Senaratne said. The Minister said Diwara Gammana, a housing project will be reintroduced for fishermen. The project was introduced by President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was the Fisheries Minister, as part of National Fisheries Federation activities.

The Federation is incorporating all fishermen belonging to 984 fishery societies in the country.

It has established its branches in the Kalutara, Trincomalee, Puttalam, Chilaw and Colombo districts.

The Federation will incorporate inland and coastal fishery societies. “We have taken steps to set up fishery societies in the Tangalle, Matara, Galle, Matale, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Moneragala, Ratnapura, Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Kurunegala, Batticaloa, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla and Kegalle districts,” the Minister said.

National Fisheries Federation Coordinator Premasiri Perera said the highest number of members to the Federation is to be from 56 fishery societies in Jaffna.

There are 5,317 fishermen in these societies. The number will increase, he said.

The second highest is recorded from Batticaloa district fishery societies. The number is 4,589. Puttalam has 4,442 fishermen and Trincomalee 4,202, he said. Memberships are on the rise because the people in these districts are returning to their jobs.

Meanwhile, the Fisheries Minister said the Federation will introduce a fishermen’s pension scheme whereby fishermen will be entitled to a pension that is not less than Rs 7,000.

Modern fishing technology will be introduced to fishermen as part of Federation’s programs, he said.

The Ministry will introduce scholarship schemes to fishermen’s children. It will empower women in fishing communities by familiarizing them with self-employment opportunities.