Boost for N-E fisheries industry

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

The Government intends to revive the fisheries industry in the North and the East Provinces to pre -1983 levels within the next year.

Till 1983, the North and the East had produced 43 percent of the island's fish requirement.

It is currently down to seven percent. "That is why we are trying our best to increase it to at least 36 percent," Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the Sunday Observer.

The main objective of the Ministry is to allow even the poorest man to feed his children with fish and minimise malnutrition.

Malnutrition is visible among 21 percent of Sri Lanka's children. The world Health Organization has said that the country can reduce it to 12 percent in three years, but our target is to bring it down to zero percent, the Minister said.

According to the Minister, the country's annual fish production is 393,000 metric tonnes.

Arrangements have been made to increase this to 686,000 metric tonnes, (for local consumption) within the next three years. Our annual fish exports are worth Rs.21 billion. The Ministry intends to increase this to Rs.50 billion within the next three years.

The fisheries sector has recorded an 18.3 percent growth and has become the number one in the industrial sector. The fisheries sector has retained the third place among all sectors in the country, he said.