Fishermen deaths:

Compensation for next of kin

Ridma Dissanayake

Arrangements are in place to provide relief to families of fishermen who perished in the recent storm, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne said.

Addressing a press briefing at the Government Information Department, the minister said the government has allocated Rs.72.2 million to provide relief to the families of the fishermen who died and to those who lost their vessels.

"The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry has already made arrangements to provide immediate relief to the fishermen affected by the adverse weather during the past few days under the direction of President Mahinda Rajapaksa," he said.

Minister Senaratne said the government decided to pay Rs. 100,000 to the closest relative of each dead or missing fisherman and to procure and provide fishing trawlers and equipment in lieu of those fully damaged and not having the insurance cover launched by the ministry.

"A large number of fishermen have been affected by the adverse weather conditions since they were not given any prior warnings about the bad weather conditions. If the fishermen received an early warning, the damage could not have been this severe. This is not the fault of the Fisheries Ministry, Disaster Management Ministry or Meteorology Department. This is a failure of the technical system in Sri Lanka," the minister said.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, Ministry Secretary Dr. D.M.R.B. Dissanayake and Fisheries Department Director General Nimal Hettiarachchi were also present at the press briefing.