No more fishing ban

Minister discusses fishermen’s woes with Defence Secy:

Chaminda PERERA

In a bid to strengthen fishermen’s economy, the Government yesterday removed all restrictions imposed on fishing in the sea area around the country.

The Government said the sea around the country is completely free for fishermen except for a few identified areas in the sea off Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts where landmines have not been removed.

According to a spokesman for the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry, the Government has lifted all restrictions on fishing in the sea around the country except few areas where landmines have been laid.

Defence Ministry officials arrived at this decision, after a meeting with Minister Rajitha Senaratne last week.

The Ministry spokesman added that Minister Senaratne took up several problems encountered by the fishing community with Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa during their meeting last week.

The Defence Ministry for the first time allowed the use of boats with 40 HP engines for fishing in the sea around the country except in the Northern and the Eastern provinces.

The Defence Ministry will also return 141 boats with HP40 engines seized for security reasons to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry to be distributed among their owners. Fishing in boats with 40HP engines was banned in the sea around the country due to security reasons.

The Sri Lanka Navy caught these boats while engaged in fishing. The spokesman added that fishermen can fish in boats with engine capacity of 40 Horse Power in the country’s territorial waters except the sea off North and the East.

According to the Ministry spokesman, fishermen in the North and the East can also use fishing boats with the engine capacity not more than 30 HP.

Earlier the fishermen in the North and the East were barred from using engine boats in the sea off the North.