More reservoirs for inland fisheries

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry said that all measures are in place to initiate aquaculture farming in 8,000 inland water reservoirs to uplift the inland water fisheries industry.

The Fisheries Ministry also hopes to double the inland fish cultivation in 2013.

Currently the inland fisheries and aquaculture industry are producing 46,560 metric tons of fish and they are to increase it to 98,000 metric tons.

According to ministry sources inland fish cultivation will be increased by 100 percent in 2013.

In 2009 inland fish and sea fish industries have produced 339,730 metric tons of fish.

Currently it had increased and now they are producing around 400,000 metric tons of fish annually. They hope to make a 686,000 metric tons of total fish cultivation in 2013.

The Fisheries Ministry stated that they have implemented large number of development programmes and various projects to increase the fish cultivation.

Export of fisheries products such as dried and canned fish have become a valuable foreign exchange earner during the past years.

All measures are also in place to export more fish and fisheries products.