Satellite technology to boost fish production

By P. Kishnaswamy

Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the Sunday Observer in an interview that President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ambitious project of establishing a fisheries harbour, one of the biggest in the region, in Sri Lanka is now being realised with the Dikkowita Fishing Harbour scheduled to be opened on the 18th of this month at an expenditure of 63 million Euros.

Of late the WHO has recognised Sri Lanka as having developed her fisheries industry as one of the best in the region and has appointed Sri Lanka as one of its five bureau members on international fisheries issues out of the total 188 member nations. He also spoke on the different measures initiated for boosting the fisheries industry and for the welfare of the fisher community.

He criticised the TNA and JVP members who presented themselves at the High Court in a case related to the CJ impeachment as representing parties that have a record of trying to destabilise the parliamentary democracy of the country.

Q: The long cherished dream of your Ministry, the Dikkowita Fisheries Harbour, is to be opened next week. How will it contribute to the promotion of the industry in par with other leading countries in the region?

A: Dikkowita harbour has materialised mainly due to the decision of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. When he was Minister of Fisheries he desired a high standard, large fisheries harbour to be constructed here. He could not do it then. Now he allocated the funds, the project was started and has been completed. It is to be opened on the 18th of this month. The cost of the project is 63 million Euros. This will one of the biggest fisheries harbours in the South Asian region. It can easily accommodate 450 Multi Day vessels. Fuel facilities, ice plants, cool rooms, net mending rooms, auction rooms and facilities for officers of foreign vessels that bring fish for export are all available in the harbour. This will be the main export hub because the fish for export will be sent direct from there to the Katunayake Airport. There are special processing rooms with all modern facilities for processing the fish and cool rooms.

Q: Since you took over as Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, you launched several ambitious projects for the promotion of the industry and also for the welfare of the fisher community. Can you please briefly explain on them?

A: My main focus was on three areas. First it was about rendering service to the people of this country through the fisheries sector. I am a medical professional and understand the grave nature of malnutrition among the population. According to the WHO statistics, when I took over, the level of malnutrition among children was 21 percent. The WHO projected that this will come down to 12 percent by 2013. I set up my own target to bring down the malnutrition level to ‘0” by the year 2013 or 2014. The only means was through encouraging them to consume fish and provide them fish at affordable price. 72 percent of animal food consumed by the people comes from fish and so this is the best way to combat malnutrition. We set out a procedure. The per capita consumption per day was only 31 grams. This had to be increased to between 33 grams to 60 grams.

We calculated how much fish would be needed for an year and targeted that requirement. The annual consumption per year per person is only 11.4 kg and this has to be increased to 22 kg. We have to increase the production to 685,000 metric tons. The consumption per person per day has now increased to 38 grams. That would mean that we have been successful in combating malnutrition to an extend higher than the projections of the WHO. Last year the production was the highest in the history of the country, reaching 455,000 metric tons which is 100,000 metric tons more than when I took over. This year it will be 486,000 metric tons or may be 500,000 metric tons. That is an achievement towards the physical welfare of the people. Secondly welfare projects were implemented for the fisher communities who are the backbone of the industry. The community has to be strengthened. We made the industry tax free and nobody is paying a tax. The tax holiday is for five years. The permits that the fishermen are required to obtain annually are also free of charge. We arranged a special loan scheme for the fisher families.

The government subsidized 04 percent of the interest and this is a loan scheme with the lowest interest rate. 25 percent of the loan is repaid by the government. Then the Insurance Scheme for the fishermen is one more significant milestone. If the fishermen meet with accidents, they have no way of getting any compensation paid unlike earlier when the government paid it. But with the economic crisis it was discontinued. By paying a mere Rs. 750 per year they get the benefit that only government servants get. We also introduced a pension scheme. At the age of 60 a fisherman will get a pension of Rs. 10,000, same as the government pension scheme. Many other projects for their welfare were also implemented, specially for the Northern fishermen. The North is our fisheries hub. They provided 43 percent of the national requirement of fish before terrorism started. With the advent of LTTE terrorism, it dropped to seven percent. Apart from the loan, insurance and pension schemes, we also distributed all fishing gear to them. Now production has risen to 18 percent. Before LTTE terrorism, the production in the Eastern Province was 15 percent of the national output. Production has now reached 23 percent.

More importantly, we are introducing the vessel monitoring system this year, the first country in the region to introduce the system. We are educating the fishermen on being guided and assisted by satellite information and data. They will be apprised of the details of the areas of fish concentration on different seasons or days so as to help them to reduce the number of days spent in the sea, save on fuel cost and get a good harvest. Many other projects and benefits are in the pipeline. We have started building fishing harbours. Feasibility studies are being conducted to construct 11 more fishing harbours in the North. Existing harbours and landing centres will be upgraded.

Internationally too the Sri Lankan fisheries industry has got the recognition. For the first time in the history of the industry, we held the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission Congress meeting in Colombo. It was applauded as the most successful conference. We also held the Asia Pacific Fisheries Ministers Conference in Colombo. The Colombo Declaration and the proposal of President Rajapaksa were tabled at the conference. The proposal was on having a global aquaculture partnership body.

The proposal has been approved by the FAO. While we have been encountering adversities, for one reason or the other, at many international forums, as far as the fisheries sector is concerned, we have been recognized as one the best. Of the 188 member counties in the FAO, the five member bureau on global aquaculture matters now comprises Sri Lanka.

The top five countries include the US. Sri Lanka was selected for the final drafting of the FAO resolutions on global fisheries matters. All these years only Thailand and Vietnam were recognized as countries of a high standard fisheries sector in the region. They were far ahead of us but now we are catching up.

Q: Poaching from across the Palk Strait is continuing as an unending problem with no signs of a settlement in the near future. Do you believe that it can be resolved for the mutual benefit of the two countries?

A: For resolving and studying the issue, we have established the Joint Working Group between India and Sri Lanka. We held the sessions regularly every year alternatively here or in India. In terms of the understanding reached at the sessions, India has stopped arresting Sri Lankan fishermen. There are no Sri Lankan fishermen in detention in India as of now. There are no vessels under detention as well. That is one achievement. When I became the Minister there were 779 fishermen in Indian prisons for having violated their territorial waters. The major issue is the arrival of a thousands of Indian fishing vessels in our fishing areas. The Navy and the Coast Guard have started arresting them. So their number is dropping considerably. We only arrest them, produce them in Court and send them back to India. Certainly it is a problem which only the two countries together can resolve in a mutually beneficial manner. India and Sri Lanka are the closest neighbours with age-old ties and good friendly relations.

Q: Recently representatives of the fisher communities of Tamil Nadu have met Union Minister Narayanaswamy on this issue and he has promised them a meeting with their Sri Lankan counterparts with the consent of the Tamil Nadu government. Do you welcome such meetings?

A: Yes. They can come and meet their counterparts here. But I do not think that however much they may try they would not be able to resolve the problem for the mutual benefit of both sides. They now want to meet their counterparts here because they are getting arrested by the Navy and the Coast Guard. There was a proposal through the Indian High Commission in Colombo but our fishermen did not agree to it. The proposal was for allowing the Indian fishermen to come across for 70 days during the fishing season for fishing. Even I do not agree to it. That will be detrimental to the Northern fishermen while it will benefit the Southern fishermen. Incidentally, fishermen’s organizations of both the North and the South did not agree to it.

Q: A delegation of TNA parliamentarians has met the Indian PM and other government authorities for discussions on this issue and have informed that India's desire was for providing the necessary fishing gear for fishermen on either side so that they can go deep sea fishing instead of clashing in a small fishing area. Your comments on that please?

A: I believe that the final solution will be that. The TNA has met the Indian PM for discussions and India has expressed its options. But all these years the TNA never made any protest against poaching by the Indian fishermen or on the problems of the Northern fishermen. They were more pro-India than they were pro-Northern Tamils. Because they were expecting the support of India. Only Minister Douglas Devananda supported my struggle on this issue. Now having realised that Minister Douglas has taken the leadership in the matter, they have started representing the matter to the Government of India. But, however, I consider it a good move. Certainly the final solution will be to get them to do deep sea fishing. But our fishermen do not have training in deep sea fishing. That is another major problem. There is no point in India giving our fishermen the gear for deep sea fishing. They must first give them to the Indian fishermen and get them to go deep sea fishing so that they will not have to come here.

Q: Some opposition parliamentarians who were in the PSC on impeachment of the CJ have presented themselves in the Court of Appeal. Do you believe that they have betrayed the interests of the legislature by doing so?

A: Who are these opposition members. The TNA and JVP members. The TNA is a party that wanted to destroy this country. They were going behind the LTTE and supporting them in their demand for an "Eelam”. Now that the LTTE is no more there, the TNA is desperate. They are hanging on to the international LTTE forum. They wanted a parliament in Kilinochchi and not in Colombo. They have no faith in the Sri Lankan parliament.

The other party is the JVP They are the only party from the South that attended. They are the ones who bombed the parliament. It is they who wanted to destroy the parliament and establish a revolutionary government in 1971 and 1988. Because they now have no other way out they have come to the parliament to reach the people. Not because they believe in parliamentary democracy. Destroying the parliament is part of their strategy. They are not the least worried about the supremacy of the legislature.

Q: Fishing boats and trawlers and multi day vessels are being used for illicit migration or human smuggling. In the context of the fact that it is causing huge damage to the industry, will you be taking any action to protect the industry?

A: That is beyond my control. That is a security matter and the security personnel , including the Navy, Coast Guard and others should take strict action. It is shocking to note the number of vessels that were engaged in such illegal operations. Last year it had gone up from 3,000 vessels to 4,000. We know the exact number because we are providing them fuel subsidy. This is happening every day, even in the North. In the North, the fishermen had only 10 multi day vessels those days but now they have 29.

Q: The TNA has apparently not shown any interest in taking part in the PSC deliberations to sort out Tamils grievances?

A: If the TNA would join the talks, there are so many people in the South who will support them, who will support the rights of the Tamils. Even we are ready to support and resolve this problem once and for all. When a majority of the parliamentarians take a decision, it will be very easy for the President to implement it. The enthusiasm that they have in defending the CJ, they have not shown in resolving the Tamils’ problem. They are more bothered about their professions than about their people.

Q: Opposition politicians have repeatedly complained that the Government is dumping huge amounts on import of fish to run the fish canning factories?

A: No country in the world use their own fish for canning. The biggest industry is in Thailand – the biggest in the world. They export canned fish for US $ 06 billion while importing fish for US $ 04 billion. They have a profit of US $ 02 billion. Similarly you cannot use every variety of fish for canning. Only mackerel or the tuna can be taken for canning. You do not find mackerel in the Indian ocean and the only alternative is ‘linna’.’Linna’ is a bait for the tuna. The tuna family will not come here if there are no ‘linna’. The fishermen do ‘linna’ fishing only during a certain season. They leave the stock of 'linna' in the sea to attract the tuna. So the price of the 'linna' which was only about Rs. 70 to Rs. 80 has now increased to Rs. 200.

Q: How many canning factories have already been established?

A: Four factories have already been established. I have held discussions with foreign investors to start a big canning factory not only for local consumption but also for export. I believe this will materialise soon.