Cey-Nor to build fiberglass fishing boats in Dhaka

Rs. 10m agreement signed :

by Lalin Fernandopulle

Cey-Nor Foundation Ltd. under the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has signed an agreement with a Bangladesh company to build a boatyard to manufacture fibreglass fishing vessels.

Chairman, Cey- Nor Foundation, Diyanath Rohan Jayasinghe said the boatyard will be built in Dhaka at a cost of around Rs 10 million. Subject to Cabinet approval the project will commence in June this year with the launch of the first boat, Jayasinghe said.

We decided to build a boatyard in Bangladesh to assist the fishing community in Bangladesh who continue to use multi-day fishing vessels made of timber.

There is a big demand for fibreglass fishing craft as Bangladesh fishermen opt for better fishing vessels to the timber-made, he said. The yard would manufacture four boats per month and each would cost around Rs. 3.5 million.

Cey-Nor Foundation has designed a high speed fishing craft powered by wind and fuel at a cost of about Rs. 3.5 million for the average fisherman. Work on the craft will be completed by April this year.

Jayasinghe said the project is a collaborative effort of the Cey-Nor Foundation and the Belgian company, Building A Future Foundation (BAFF).

The technology for the new fishing vessel is more advanced than the multi-day fishing craft used today. There had been several complaints from fishermen regarding the less efficient multi-day fishing boats. The new vessel is faster and fuel efficient. The quantity of fish getting spoilt is lower compared to those caught by the present multi-day fishing vessels, he said.

Jayasinghe said he received much support from the Consulate for Belgium, Pierre Pringiers with his team of boat builders from Australia.

Cey- Nor Foundation has been in operation for 35 years and it maintains ISO standards in the manufacture of boats and nets.The institute manufactures boats at Mattakkuliya and nets at Lunuwila and Weerawila.

The Foundation plans to increase export orders mainly the leisure craft to Norway. Buyers from various countries have made contracts to purchase another 100 boats. Last year there were orders for 50 boats, Jayasinghe said.

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