Fisheries industry provides jobs for over 600,000 - Rajitha

Ridma Dissanayake

The fisheries industry provides direct and indirect employment to over 600,000 persons, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said.

"Sri Lanka's fisheries sector constitutes a very important sector in the country's socio - economic milieu. Fish has always been the main source of animal protein for Sri Lankans and the local fish production provides the bulk of the consumer demand," he said.

Minister Senaratne was addressing World Food Day celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters of Sri Lanka recently.

He said fishing has been the most important economic activity in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka since time immemorial and in more recent times, inland fishing and aquaculture have also become very important economic livelihoods in the hinterland.

"A noteworthy contribution of the industry to the national economy is the considerable amount of foreign exchange earnings generated through exports of fish and aquatic products," he said.

The minister said Sri Lanka is in the midst of development under the Mahinda Chinthana future vision which will ensure and accelerate the development of the fisheries industry.

"We are seeking to increase our annual fish production in marine, inland and aquaculture sub sectors to 685,690 metric tons by the next year and thereby improve our daily per capita fish consumption to 60 grams and increase the fish export volume to 37,000 tons by the same period," the minister said.

Senaratne said in the fisheries sector, Sri Lanka hopes to reactivate and revitalise a phenomenon similar to the cooperative concept and one which meets the expectations and aspirations of the present day fishermen through the establishment of the National Fisheries Federation which has a membership of around 100,000.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) representative for Sri Lanka and Maldives Patrick T Evans, Heads of agencies of other United Nations Agencies and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry Secretary Dr Damitha de Soysa were also present.