New fish market complex opens on March 26

Ridma Dissanayake

The newly built state-of-the-art fish trade center at Peliyagoda will be opened under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 26, said Fisheries and Aquatic Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne.

Rs 3.8 billion had been spent on this fish trade center project. President Mahinda Rajapaksa had allocated Rs 1.9 billion from the 2008 budget and other Rs 1.9 billion had been given by the Asian Development Bank as a loan, he added.

Minister Senaratne was addressing a press conference at the Peliyagoda fish trade center premises yesterday. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry had organized a field visit as well.

The new Central Fish Market Complex is built on 3.17 hectares of reclaimed marshy land along the main Katunayake air port expressway.

The Peliyagoda fish trade center is an exclusive fish market. St John fish market does not have sufficient space and lacks facilities,” the Minister said.

The Fisheries Ministry had been taken all measures to rid this market complex of brokers and only to allow those involved in direct selling. There will be no opportunity for black marketers to operate. Three research teams had been appointed to research about those illegal activities.

The wholesale fish complex will be based on the ground floor and it will have 148 stalls while the retail fish market will have 128 stalls.

The top floors have been allocated for banks, post offices, shopping complex, police services, restaurant and a quality control room. A 25-metric ton ice factory, three cool rooms and a water purifying plant have also been set up, Minister added.

“We have introduced modern technology for fishermen for retain the freshness of the fish and to store fish without any damage. For the first time in Sri Lanka we have introduced flake ice to the fisheries industry and it will freeze each and every cell of fish while keeping it fresh for a long time,” the Minister said.

He further noted that,the new fish trade center has a modern parking facility. It will control vehicles by using computer technology. It has enough space to park 500 vehicles and a system to control and monitor every vehicle which enters and leaves the market complex, guaranteeing security.

The Sri Lanka Fisheries Corporation had signed an agreement with the Power Asia International Company with regard to the establishing of the car park recently.

The Peliyagoda fish market complex will become a distribution and selling center of fish to all corners of the country, the Minister further noted.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry Secretary Dr Damaitha De Soysa, Ceylon Fisheries Cooperation’s Chairman Maheel Senarathne and State-of-the-art fish trade center Project’s Chairman Jayantha Chandrasoma were also present.