Sri Lanka for INFOFISH pilot project

by Sapumali GALAGODA

Sri Lanka is among five countries selected by the Inter Governmental Organisation for Marketing Information and Advisory Serives in Asia and Pacific (INFOFISH) for a pilot project to promote, processing and market fresh water fish. The other four countries are India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The project is funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) in the Netherlands and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The main objective of the project is to provide support for both export and domestic marketing of freshwater fish and fish products through introduction of innovative processing and presentation methods and reducing post harvest losses while ensuring the safety and quality of fish products.

The project in Sri Lanka was launched by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board in partnership with INFOFISH.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board will act as the national focal point and the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will be the national partner for the project.

The project is designed to encourage small and medium scale entrepreneurs in production and marketing of freshwater fish species for export processing and domestic marketing while ensuring the sustainable utilisation of freshwater fish resources in the country. The project will work directly with private sector entrepreneurs and relate to the needs of the private sector.

Sri Lanka was elected to chair the INFOFISH governing council for year 2011. Sri Lanka Export Development Board Chairman and Chief Executive, Janaka Ratnayake will chair the sessions.

Fish worth $92 million is being imported to Sri Lanka for consumption. In 2010 $172 million worth of fish and fishery products were exported and Sri Lanka is looking at $ one billion worth of fish and fishery product exports by 2015.