Dikkowita fisheries harbour ready soon

By P. Krishnaswamy

Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dr.Rajitha Senaratne who returned to the country after a visit to Italy last week told the Sunday Observer, that his visit was constructive and had a salutary outcome for the country's fisheries sector.

He visited the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and held discussions on FAO assistance to develop the industry and proposals already submitted. He negotiated with a large Boat/Yacht Building Yard in Milan for a similar joint venture in Sri Lanka in collaboration with CeyNor. Many programs of his Ministry for the welfare of the fisher-community and sustainability of the industry, such as, an insurance scheme and pension schemes, implemented while other projects , including the Fishing Harbour and Fish Canning Factories are to become operational shortly. He said that special focus was being laid on the welfare of the North-East fishing families.

He has submitted a cabinet paper for the absorption of unemployed graduates in Jaffna to the State sector, he said.

Following are the excerpts of the interview:

Q: Was anything discussed during your recent visit to Italy on developing the local fisheries industry?

A: Yes. I visited the FAO and met the Assistant Director General and held discussions on my proposals on FAO assistance towards developing the fisheries industry. The newly appointed Director General was out of the country. We had the first ever FAO Asian Fisheries Ministers Conference in Colombo last May. D.Rohana Subasinghe, Consultant to the FAO accompanied me.

My proposal, as the incumbent Chairman of the conference, recommending the conference as an annual event was adopted. So in our discussions we tentatively agreed to hold the next conference in Kampuchea in April. I also made a presentation on the development of fisheries, the FAO model, in our country.

I attended a function to felicitate the appointment as Monsignor of one of our Catholic Priests Rev.Fr.Neville Joseph Perera, attached to the Vatican. Importantly, it was a high position offered to the Vatican and not to Sri Lanka. His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith presided the function. It was attended by a large number of Sri Lankans from all over Italy. I was there as the representative of the President and I also made a speech.

I also visited a large Boat/Yacht Building Yard near Milan. I held discussions with the authorities. They agreed to come to Sri Lanka to sign an MoU to start a boat/yacht building joint venture in collaboration with Ceynor. This would immensely contribute towards improving our Boat Yard at Mattakkuliya.

Q: The two-day conference of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Commission on Fisheries was held in Colombo from January 13-14. Can you tell us the salient issues that were taken up for discussion?

A: Cross-border problems and poaching were not discussed as main issues but instead other matters relating to the sustainability of the fisheries industry were discussed. Several encouraging proposals were put forward by the Indian delegation.

This included an undertaking by fisheries authorities of the Indian States to institute arrangements to release Sri Lankan fishermen who get apprehended in their territorial waters, soon without detaining them for long and without producing them in Court . While Tamil Nadu is already doing that the other States including Andra Pradesh and the Indian Union Territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands agreed to follow suit. Tamil Nadu delegates also agreed to expedite the process so as to be able to release the fishermen within a week. The decision was implemented after the conclusion of the conference. As a gesture of immediate response the Sri Lankan fishermen who were kept in detention for over a year in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands for poaching were released and sent back to Sri Lanka. This was a significant aspect of the discussions.

Q: Diplomatic circles, in the recent days, have focused maritime security as a matter of much concern in the region. Was this also discussed?

A: That was not discussed at this conference but the issue relating to the North-East fishermen's problem came up for discussion. Our delegation expressed its desire on maintaining the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) without being violated by the two sides. The Indian delegation wanted more time to completely stop poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters.

Q: What measures have been taken to ensure that the Sri Lankan territorial waters are not violated?

A: The Navy and coast guard have been deployed. But their strength is not enough to stop large number of vessels entering Sri Lankan waters.

Q: Former Indian President Dr. Abdhul Kalam has during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, proposed that fishermen of the two countries should go fishing on three alternate days in a week irrespective of territorial boundaries and they should also go deep sea fishing. He has proposed it as a solution to the cross-border issue. Your comments on this please?

A: We cannot agree to such proposals because it will very much affect the livelihood of the Northern fishermen and they are strongly opposed to it.

Q: Beginning from the mid 80s,families of the Northern province went across the Palk Strait seeking asylum in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. A majority of over 100,000 who were given asylum are fisher families. They are now being repatriated in a phased manner. Have any programs been formulated by your Ministry to provide relief and rehabilitation assistance to such fisher families?

A: We have already launched our programs to provide assistance to all the resettle families. Over Rs. 2 billion was allocated for such assistance in the last two years. Consequently the fish production has doubled in the last two years. My Ministry does not have, until now, any special programs for the resettlement of the fisher-families returning from India. The programs being implemented are common to all families.

Q: The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to help our fishing vessels to get to fertile fishing zones and to prevent them from entering territorial waters of other countries was to be implemented at the beginning of this year.Can you please tell the present situation with regard to this project?

A: The project proposal is now at its final stages. Our proposal on that is now with the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC). Once it is approved by TEC, it will be sent to the Cabinet Negotiating Committee (CNC) for their evaluation of the financial commitments. After that it will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval and implementation. This process will take a few months.

Q: The Dikkowita Fishing Harbour, one of the biggest in South Asia, was originally scheduled to be completed last month. Will it be commissioned as scheduled?

A: The work on the overhead road built by the contractors was rejected by my Ministry as it had not been done according to specifications. The road is mainly for the use of the local community and they will be unhappy if it is not done properly. The contractors now have to break it and do it anew. Once that is done, the harbour will become operational.

Q: Your Ministry is in the process of implementing programs to address the malnutrition problem throughout the country. It has been reported that malnutrition is high among children in the Northern and Eastern provinces. Do you have special programs for them?

A: Malnutrition is comparatively high among children in the Northern and Eastern provinces because of the long-drawn-out conflict. Malnutrition is due to protein deficiency and one of the best alternatives is consumption of more fish. We want to provide fish at affordable prices so that people, especially children, will be able to consume more fish.

This program is for the whole country and, I am sure, the Northern children will benefit.

Q: Fish canning factories in Galle and Peliyagoda were in the pipeline of the programs of your Ministry. What is the present state with regard to these?

A: The canning factory at Galle is ready and they are doing the trial run. The Peliyagoda factory will be ready soon.

The factory at Mundel, Northwestern province, is also on a trial run. Hence we will open the first two factories in Galle and Mundel next month.

Q: The insurance scheme for fishermen was another major project undertaken by your Ministry. Have the targets been reached?

A: Last year we passed the target. The target was for 7500 fishermen and it was exceeded. The target for this year is 15,000. Anyway, I have now taken a decision to make insurance compulsory to all fishermen as from April this year. Those who do not get insured will not be allowed to engage themselves in this industry.

We will cancel registrations of vessel owners who take to sea fishermen without insurance.

The Government cannot be paying compensations out of its funds every time something happens to the fishermen. I have already prepared a Cabinet paper and sent it to the Cabinet for payment of compensations, running to several millions of rupees, to the fishermen who were killed in the cyclone.

Q: Has your Ministry initiated measures to protect the mangroves, coral reefs and other fish breeding grounds that are likely to be damaged under the tourism promotion programs?

A: We have taken measures to safeguard the mangroves and other fish breeding grounds and in the meantime, we are also developing Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) which will be introduced throughout the country including in the North and the East. This is for breeding more fish than the breeding under natural environments. We have already introduced the program in Beruwala. We have banned the use of mechanised boats in rivers close to sea or lagoons because that will disturb the breeding pattern of fish. Only the use of canoes and hand-paddled boats are allowed for the use by tourists.

My Ministry had also banned all illegal and destructive methods of fishing a year ago. The Ministry is implementing it strictly.

Q: What about the pension scheme for fishermen?

A:A pension scheme for fishermen is being implemented.

Q: Will more Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) retail stalls be opened?

A: Last month we opened two in Anuradhapura. Currently we have 107. Cash-flow is the only problem that we face. To get over that we have invited a Saudi Arabia company to join us.

The company will invest US$ 300 million with the CFC and it will make it possible for us to involve ourselves in buying of fish directly from fishermen and sales.

We will be able to directly intervene in the market. We will be able to set up a good network to increase production and sales throughout the country. We can spread our wings through the CFC and the Cooperative City. These facilities will enable us to decide the price of fish.

Q: Have you already signed an MoU with the Saudi Arabia company?

A: Not yet. We are still negotiating on the terms and conditions. We have consulted the Attorney General and got his advice. The investor is to arrive here this week and we will make the final arrangements for the investment.

Q: Will more CFC stalls be opened up in the North and the East?

A: Yes. Now we have a good transport system to bring fish to the South. We have already engaged six freezer trucks for the purpose. The fishermen of the North will get a good price for their produce.

Q: Will the Government offer employment opportunities to graduates in the North?

A: I have already sent my proposals to the Cabinet on that. When the cabinet approval is given all the Jaffna graduates who are unemployed will be offered jobs.

Q: A 'Mother Vessel System' whereby mother vessels carrying all requirements of the fishing vessels including food, fuel and water was to be introduced. How far has this program made headway?

A: Before I took over the Ministry, certain problems had been created with regard to the procurement of the fully-equipped 'mother vessels. I am now in the process of sorting it out.

The contract had been given to a pseudo company in Singapore - just only the name board. The directors of the company in Singapore and in Sri Lanka were found to be the same persons. They, in turn, had given the contract for manufacturing the mother vessel to a Chinese company. Now we have got involved with three companies as stake holders and we have to sign an MoU to bring the vessel.