Ministry to pay relief for deceased fisherfolks

The Fisheries Ministry will grant relief to the next of kin of 16 fishermen who died due to gale force winds that wreaked at havoc in many places, especially the coastal region on November 25.A spokesperson for the Ministry said they were in the process of estimating the damage and the report is expected to be submitted to Minister Rajitha Senaratne next week, to initiate compensation.

It has been reported that out of the 16 victims only one had a life insurance policy who is eligible for a claim.

The vessel with a crew of five went missing in the bad weather, is currently being towed in by a private craft. Found as far as near the Australian waters, the trawler is expected to reach Sri Lanka in four days," he said.

In the aftermath of the unexpected Met Department fiasco, the Fisheries Ministry has now planned to acquire the latest Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) that would help the authorities monitor vessel movements and issue territory warnings from drifting deep into Indian waters.

-MF