Another path to fish self-sufficiency
S S Hirampola - University of Peradeniya
Marine fishing industry of Sri Lanka
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When we talk about beautiful tropical island of Sri Lanka the one
thing anyone hardly misses is the divine blue sea which is eight times
bigger than the land mass and the inland fresh water bodies such as
reservoirs, rivers etc.
Though we have all these resources in hand the contribution of
fisheries towards the gross domestic product (GDP) is 1.2% and we have
been shameless enough to import canned fish from abroad.
Mainly our people are involved in marine fisheries industry which
requires lots of money to fulfill the fuel and equipment costs and also
marine fishing can be only performed in particular times of the year
which initiates according to the monsoonal behaviour.
So I believe it is time to seek another path for the betterment of
fisheries industry. We can use our inland fresh water bodies such as
reservoirs, Mahaweli river basins and seasonal tanks to culture Indian
carps like Catla, Rohu and Mrigal. Once the fish are in shape, fishermen
can catch those using simple canoes etc.
Comparatively the cost of production is very low and can perform this
activity throughout the year without any interference. The most
important advantage for us is that we can consume fish in a fresh
status. (Marine fish takes much time to get to the consumer). So I
believe it is our responsibility to promote this method for the
betterment of our nation. |