Increase in inland fish harvest says Rajitha

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

The inland fish harvest increased by 36 percent at the end of last year resulting in an increase upto 59,560 metric tons. Measures are in place to increase it to 98,000 metric tons by 2013, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said.

The aquaculture farming and inland fisheries industry play a major role in rural areas in Sri Lanka. It makes a vital contribution to strengthen the village economy and uplifts living standards in the villages, the minister said.

He said the inland fisheries industry and aquaculture farming help boost livelihoods and income of the rural masses and provide nutrition to the people.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Wayamba province Min Visithuru exhibition in Madampe, Chilaw, Senaratne said without the inland fish industry or aquaculture farming, poverty would have been much higher.

“These industries provide direct employment to over 20,000 people and indirectly helps about 50,000 people. We have made arrangements to grant Rs 35,000 for ornamental fish industrialists under the Divi Neguma programme and hope to increase it to Rs 75,000 at the second phase of the programme,” the minister said.

He said Sri Lanka has a coastal belt of 1,770 kilometres, 300,000 hectares of inland water reservoirs,160,000 hectares of lagoons and 103 rivers.

The fisheries industry fullfills around 70 percent out of the total animal protein requirement of the country and 46 percent out of it is provided through aquaculture farming, the minister said.

Aquaculture farming has shown the biggest growth rate of 8.3 percent in the animal production sector and it is over than the population growth rate as well, he said.