New projects for fisheries sector

Ridma Dissanayake

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry is making arrangements to increase their export income by introducing new projects to the Sri Lankan fisheries sector. It commenced a number of new projects in the fisheries industry including clam farming, sea cucumber farming, aquaculture farming and sea plant farming during the last two years, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said.

The National Aquaculture Development Authority and National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency are assisting these projects, he said.

The pilot projects of clam farming, sea cucumber farming, aquaculture farming and sea plant farming have commenced and arrangements are underway to introduce these projects to fisheries industrialists islandwide, especially fishing communities in war - affected areas, the minister said.

"We have increased the daily fish consumption in Sri Lanka by 38 percent during the last three years. We have done a great service to uplift the fisheries industry in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. We have established the National Fisheries Federation to solve issues in the fisheries industry at district level and hope district Heads of this federation will support us to make the fisheries industry the third most important industry in Sri Lanka," Senaratane said.

"We have taken strict measures to ban illegal vessels and equipment. We also hope hold discussions with the Defence Ministry to conduct raids on these illegal things," the minister said.