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| Sunday, 30 January 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Cey - Nor leads the way by Elmo Leonard A sum of rupees 9 billion (Rs 99 to a US dollar) would be needed to repair Sri Lanka's fishing fleet damaged by the asian tsunami according to the latest assessment of the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources. Cey-Nor Foundation Ltd, the state-owned boat and fishnet manufacturing organisation is leading the way in repairing damaged fishing craft. Cey-Nor has harnessed the resources of the country's 11 private-owned boatyards its chairman, Ajitha Edirisinghe said. Todate, Cey-Nor had spent Rs 150 million for repair of boats in all parts of the country and is in urgent need of funds to continue the work. Thus, the Cey-Nor chairman appeals to government and international donor agencies for funds. The 11 boatyards which have joined hands with Cey-Nor are: Blue Star Marine Wattala, Neil Marine Negombo, New V-J Boatyard Negombo, Danusha Marine, Negombo, Colombo Marine Balapitiya, Nandani Boatyard Beruwela, Kumari Boatyard Negombo, Seram Marine Engineers Trincomalee, PIO Fibreglass Industries Hikkaduwa, Benet Jayathilaka Galle and Anushka Fibbers Nilwella. The repairs to fishing craft under the Fisheries Ministry's is termed a `National Program' under a steering committee headed by Cey-Nor's engineer chairman. All technical aspects of this project are handled by a technical advisory committee consisting of the leading naval architects and the country's foremost engineers and fishing gear manufacturers and two foreign experts. Repair workshops have been set up in the districts of Gampaha (1) Colombo (2) Kalutara (3) Galle (5) Matara (7) Hambantota (8) Ampara (4) Batticaloa (2) Trincomalee (3) Jaffna (2). Competent persons from all over the country including mechanics are being employed on a day-to-day basis. A group of 10 mechanics have been sent to Kokalai bordering Mullitivu, which is under LTTE control. Here, 67 outboard motor boats had been repaired, Cey-Nor's general manager, KD Liyanage said. Meanwhile, the loss of human resource in numbers of fishermen killed consequent to the Asian tsunami of December 26 was put down as 7,416 by the Ministry of Fisheries, with thousands still listed as missing. Approximately 15,764 out of 29,694 of Sri Lanka's fishing fleet is now listed as destroyed or damaged, which includes, 721 beach seine, over 3000 craft with outboard motors with 9 to 25 horse power. The cost for repairing fibreglass built boats (excluding traditional craft) destroyed now stands at Rs 1.4 billion and Rs 7.2 billion to replace damaged boats. The cost of maintaining the 37 repair centres for a 2 month period is Rs 78 million. In the first phase of operations, many of the grounded fishing craft were lifted to sea. Also, small craft, `oru' and one-dayboats with outboard motors are being repaired. In the first week of February work on the repair of fishing craft is expected to begin in Jaffna. |
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