PARLIAMENT

Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka Act No 53 of 1998 :

Regulations aimed at regulating aquacultural societies in SL

Sandasen Marasinghe and Irangika Range

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1 pm yesterday. After the presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up several regulations under the National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka, Act No 53 of 1998 for debate.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne: The regulations before the House today, are aimed at regulating the Aquacultural Societies in Sri Lanka. These societies which are very important, play a vital role in the fishing industry to boost the economy of Sri Lanka. But, they need to be registered in order to develop the aquaculture industry in Sri Lanka.

We have taken a number of measures to develop prawn farming in the North and East. A new prawn farming project has been initiated in the Batticaloa district. We have given small scale prawn farmers in Batticaloa, an opportunity to involve themselves with this project. We have recorded the highest fresh water fish production in 2011. It was 59,600 metric tonnes.

We have also taken measures to ban illegal fishing. A record income of Rs 44 million had been earned from fresh water fishing. All required facilities have been provided for the prawn farming industry. Six hundred new boats and 124 new bicycles have been provided to the fishermen. We have also initiated a project to develop lagoons, including the Nandicadal lagoon.

New Oyster farming projects have also commenced in the North and East. Plans are afoot to export oysters to many other countries. A seaweed project has been carried out as a pilot project in Jaffna. Additional job opportunities of nearly 20,000 have been created among the people of the North and East, through this project. Measures have also been taken to develop the ornamental fish industry, aimed at earning foreign exchange to the country.

Palitha Range Bandara (UNP): The prawn cultivation industry is very popular among the fishermen in the North and East, especially in the Puttalam district. Today, the prawn cultivation industry has collapsed. The main reason for the collapse being the spreading of a disease.

There are 904 illegal prawn breeding centres throughout the country. These illegal prawn cultivation centres should be banned. Proper technology should be adopted to increase the prawn production. We can earn a record income if the industry is developed.

Corruption is rampant in the Fisheries Ministry. The minister should take measures to stop these corruptions and malpractices taking place in the ministry.

Steps taken to develop aquaculture industry

Social Services Minister Felix Perera: This government has taken numerous steps to develop the aquaculture industry in Sri Lanka after President Mahinda Rajapaksa came to power in 2005. Today, the industry has become a very profitable business, recording high income.

There had been a period when prawn cultivation incurred huge losses. Now it has been revieved.

The ministry should take steps to ensure the sustainability of prawn farming. Proper facilities, required technology and financial assistance should be provided to prawn farmers.

Lagoons in the North and East are not polluted. We can use these lagoons for the expansion of fresh water fishing. We need to develop the fishing industry, targeting to earn huge foreign exchange.

Social Services Minister Felix Perera (continues): More than 10,000 Indian soldiers had been killed by the LTTE and more than 20,000 rendered disabled. Now I would like to ask them if they have forgotten the past?

Dilip Wedaarachchi (UNP): Prawns are bred naturally in lagoons in the southern coastal areas. These lagoons are being destroyed due to the felling of mangroves.

Due to the construction of hotels, the prawn industry has been badly damaged. Some fishermen were unable to get their fuel subsidies, as they did not have the necessary documents. That is not fair.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne: You direct those persons to us and we will take measures to solve their problems.

Dilip Wedaarachchi (continues): The fishermen can be given their subsidies in an easy manner, rather than making them to submit different documents.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera: MP Dilip Wedaarachchi speaks as if the fuel subsidy was a great headache to the recipients He said the recipients had to fill many documents. Yes, they have to fill them on the first occasion, but they do not have to fill them monthly.

We understood that this subsidy is the money of the people in the country. So we are unable to waste them. Rs 243 million has been spent for the fuel subsidy. I am sure you can remember that after the tsunami catastrophe, the government had to grant boats twice to the fishermen.

Thugs on the beach handle the price of fish. But now it was the fishermen who earn the profits, not the thugs. We will continue to provide the subsidy to the fishermen.

Niroshan Perera (UNP): Prawn cultivation in the Puttalam district has bought a large amount of money to the district and it has spread widely by 2000. But the politicization of the industry had paved the way to establish a large number of prawn farms leading to the downfall of the industry.

Measures taken to develop prawn farming in East

Resettlement Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan: The government has taken measures to develop prawn farming in the East. We have already identified around 5,000 acres of land to initiate fresh water fish projects in the East.

Necessary facilities have been provided not only for fishermen, but also for fish mongers. New boats and cycles and fish boxes have been provided to both groups.

Fishermen have been provided with proper knowledge and training on how to increase their fish production.

Today people in the country live in peace and harmony after ending the 30-year long war. The country is developing rapidly, but certain foreign elements who are unable to witness these developments, are trying to meddle with the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. We all should get-together and unite to defeat these external forces.

Victor Anthoney (UPFA): The prawn cultivation took place in a very irregular manner, during the UNP regime. Now, the industry is moving towards success. Irregular prawn farming had resulted in destroying the lagoons across the country. These illegal activities should be banned. We must take measures to purify the water in lagoons. The water has to be purified for the breeding of prawns. There is a big demand for oysters in the international market. Therefore, we must take measures to commence oyster farming projects and export oysters to other countries to fulfill international requirements.

Fuel hike has hit the farmer badly

A. Adaikhalanathan (TNA): Fishermen who are engaged in fresh water fishing, face great difficulties in the North and East. The recent fuel price hike has badly affected these farmers. They are on the verge of giving up their professions today. The government must provide them with a fuel subsidy. The relevant authorities should come up with new plans to increase the fresh water production. Fishermen should be introduced with new technology, while providing required facilities for their benefit. The Hamilton Canal should be reconstructed.

Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene (UNP): The Negambo Lagoon has been highly polluted. Some people backed by politicians in the area, are engaged in filling some parts of the lagoon to extent their land areas. The Hamilton Canel should be reconstructed for the enhancement of tourism, transportation and fishing.

Fishermen should be provided with modern fishing equipment

V K Indika (UPFA): A very few people only engage in the fishing industry. I think in addition to the subsidy provided to them by the government, it is better that they be given boats, nets and other required equipment needed to develop their industry.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Deputy Minister Susantha Punchinilame: Most of the Opposition members spoke forgetting the past. Deputy Chairman of Committees Murugesu Chandrakumar takes the Chair.

No other government has provided such massive reliefs to the fishermen than this government. This government has granted them with loans. For the first time in history, the fishermen have been insured. The government is taking measures to provide them with a pensions scheme.

They have been given a fuel subsidy. The Fisheries Corporation is ready to buy their harvest. Today the fishermen are living happily. MP Range Bandara had not met with fishermen. Earlier the fishermen only had an area of one third of Sri Lanka’s sea.

But today, they are free to fish anywhere in the sea. Massive projects are afoot to develop the fishing industry in the North and East. The Economic Development Ministry is taking measures to renovate all the tanks in the North and East. The fishermen in the North and East and in the entire country, who had only bicycles, have bought motorcycles, tractors, Dimo Batta lorries etc. They have moved from small cottages to good houses.

The government is developing the fresh water fishing industry. The Iranamadu tank is also used for this purpose.

The orders were passed.

At Adjournment:

Though soccer was popular in the country, cricket has been given ‘pride of place’

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, yesterday stated that a national plan had been formulated and presented to Parliament to develop 52 games in the country, including soccer. He made this observation in response to an adjournment motion moved by UPFA member AHM Azwer, requesting the sports minister to intervene to develop soccer in the country.

AHM Azwer (UPFA): The game of soccer had been very popular in the country for a very long time. But Sri Lanka had paid attention only to cricket. It is good, but more attention should have been paid to football, which is a game of commoners. The Sports Minister should intervene in this matter to give football its due place. Anuradhapura District UPFA member C Muthukumarana seconded the motion.

Sujeewa Senasinghe (UNP): This is a very good motion. We had very good football players during the past, but since of late, the standard of soccer in the country had deteriorated.

Sarath Weerasekera (UPFA): The facts in MP AHM Azwer’s motion had been totally incorrect. This game is not a game of the poor. Azwer said that soccer in Sri Lanka had not reached the level of Argentina and Brazil. It’s a humorous idea. Multi-million companies spend money for the upliftment of soccer in those countries. So it is a great difficulty for Sri Lanka to reach that level. Another incorrect statement by Azwer is that around Rs 100 million is provided to the Football Federation of Sri Lanka.

This fact is wrong. When we defeated the Philippines, we can’t say that we are in the incline in football. It is a fact that other countries are moving beyond our country. It is because they have become professionals in football. Our players play only during the evenings after they leave their place of work while foreign players are professionals.

When these foreign players are paid well, our players are paid only a pittance. Around Rs 100 million has been provided to the Football Federation annually. Our soccer team had not reached the level of Brazil and Argentina.

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage: There is a monopoly in the game of football. That is why football has collapsed today. It is necessary that football be developed on a proper plan. Football is a game of the village youths. Today youths of the country have given up football. I had great confidence in the President of the Football Federation. That is why I recommended him for the post of President of the Football Federation. But, I will have to take stern action if necessary steps are not taken by the current president to develop football in the country.

We will give our fullest support to him. We will find a sponsor to rebuild the game and give it international recognition. All ranks from top to bottom in the Football Federation should be committed to develop the game of football to bring it to national level. You must streamline the functions of the Federation. I will not allow anyone to engage in malpractices and corruption in the game of football. I never agree to what the President of the Football Federation, MP Sarath Weerasekera said in Parliament.

The House was adjourned until 1 pm today.