Fish Production to be increased by 125 tons a day:

Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour a fillip to the industry

by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE

The fisheries industry is one of the key beneficiaries of the peace dividends enabling them to cast their nets freely within the territorial waters.

The commissioning of the fisheries harbour in Dikkowita early next year will be a fillip to the industry which is a major contributor to the economy of the country.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that work on the project is progressing and added that the harbour will be commissioned in January 2012.

The Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour is the country’s largest fisheries harbour built at a cost of EUR 53 million on the West coast, ten kilometres North of Colombo.

The project is financed by an ORET grant from the Dutch Government and an Atradius covered by a soft loan provided by HSBC and supported by ORET.

The total support of the Dutch Government via the ORET program is around EUR 17 million.

Dr. Senaratne said that the new fisheries harbour has been built in keeping with international standards and added that it will be a huge boost to the fisheries industry which is a primary income source to families living along the coastal belt.

On completion, the fisheries harbour will provide direct access to the sea as fishermen now use the Hamilton canal or the Negombo lagoon.

“Fishermen face several difficulties due to lack of proper facilities.

The new harbour offers a host of benefits to the fishermen in the area”, said a Fisheries Association member in the area.

The kilometre long harbour designed and built by BAM International of the Royal BAM Group is expected to increase production by 125 tons of fish a day.

The project was launched in April 2009 with a timeframe of two years for completion.

The new harbour will consist of administration and auction buildings, cold rooms, ice plants, a fuel storage and a distribution system, a glass fibre boat repair building and net mending facilities.

“The harbour basin which was 3.5 metres deep earlier is now five feet deep and the approach channel which was faulty has been rectified with direct access to the sea,” the Minister said.

Fish production in the country is expected to double within the next few years with the construction and renovation of all the harbours in the country.

The Mutwal and Beruwala fisheries harbours facilitate distribution of fish and make a large contribution to fish production in the country.

The Panadura Fisheries Harbour destroyed by the tsunami has been reconstructed and is in full operation today.

“Plants are also afoot to increase the number of fisheries reservoirs to around 8,000 by 2013.

All tanks will be renovated under the Inland Fisheries Development project”, the Minister said.

The width of the new fisheries harbour has been increased to 70m from 50m to enable easy access to the harbour.

The harbour will also comprise a state-of-the-art canning factory.

The Minister said that the poaching problem will be amicably settled with joint discussions that are expected to take place shortly.

The allegations of poaching by Indian and Sri Lanka fishermen from both sides have triggered a series of problems for both countries. Early this year 136 Indian fishermen were arrested for entering Sri Lanka territorial waters in the North.