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| Sunday, 5 September 2004 |
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Politics |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Mastering focus for development by Wendell W Solomons In the Alliance, the JVP makes an effort to get Sri Lanka out of an awaited barrel of worms by suggesting national focus. The JVP mobilises for restoring Wewas. About traditional earth dams, irrigation engineers will tell us that the systems date beyond the 9th Century and the crop yields of the period in heavily fragmented land. They will inform us that traditional dams are too small to provide the efficient water management that large modern dams are designed to deliver. Agronomists will add that crops are grown in settlements within abandoned Wewas and reconstructing their bunds for water storage will require large-scale population re-settlement out of the areas earmarked for inundation. They will tell us that alternative land must be developed for the displaced agriculturists. Professional know-how Economist Jeffrey Sachs, whose fame grew as a monetarist, was in Sri Lanka. He examined in the island prospective industries for focus in the island much like Japanese had done. Sachs had flown in from India and he looked at IT development in Sri Lanka too (full report at "Best Economist" URL www.geocities.com/worldcityessays/) Sachs then looked at the oceans and Sri Lanka's 200-mile economic zone that is not fragmented into 1 acre blocks as often is our reality for domestic agriculture. Purely as an example for professional discussion we could take the rich world's preference for yellowfin tuna (Sinh. Kellawalla.) Explanation? Humble Tuna The U.S. Environmental Agency says: "Mercury was added to the Proposition 65 list in 1990 based on its developmental effects. Recently, California's Attorney General, Bill Lockyer, sued a number of California grocery stores for selling or distributing fresh or frozen swordfish, ahi (yellowfin) tuna, albacore tuna, and shark. These types of fish contain mercury and methylmerucy compounds, which are ingested by persons eating them." (See -www.epa.gov/region09/cross_pr/childhealth/mercury.html) Mercury enters the food chain through sources that include fish. Large doses of mercury harm the brain. Environmentalists have long claimed that heavy metal effluent in the West pollutes coastal waters. It is not popularly known that Indian Ocean coastal waters have become one of the preferred sources of fish. It is also not popularly known that some sixteen enterprises are engaged in Sri Lanka, though with limited capacity in relation to the sea area, in exporting yellowfin tuna largely to Europe. Development So some facilities are in place. More, many foreign trawlers fish in Sri Lanka's waters. They are required by the book to pay for fishing rights and to employ Sri Lankan crew. The way forward in this sector seems to require, firstly, diligent application of the regulations in the book. As time proceeds, Sri Lankan captains and mates would train. Because fishing trawlers are in not short supply worldwide, Sri Lanka would have the option of leasing trawlers or buying them outright for its own crews. Before it sets off a fashion like the hotel-building wave, our example needs qualification. It and similar projects for use of Sri Lanka's maritime zone need adequate and full professional assessment. Some of these projects will bring in foreign exchange to pay for the country's pharmaceuticals and other imports. Last but not least, the use of maritime resources of the country will give us more than adequate remedy for any of the shortcomings that engineers and agronomists claim in the JVP focus that has mustered and won foreign support. Response invited at : [email protected] |
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