Dikkowita fisheries harbour ready soon
By P. Krishnaswamy
Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dr.Rajitha
Senaratne who returned to the country after a visit to Italy last week
told the Sunday Observer, that his visit was constructive and had a
salutary outcome for the country's fisheries sector.
He visited the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and held
discussions on FAO assistance to develop the industry and proposals
already submitted. He negotiated with a large Boat/Yacht Building Yard
in Milan for a similar joint venture in Sri Lanka in collaboration with
CeyNor. Many programs of his Ministry for the welfare of the
fisher-community and sustainability of the industry, such as, an
insurance scheme and pension schemes, implemented while other projects ,
including the Fishing Harbour and Fish Canning Factories are to become
operational shortly. He said that special focus was being laid on the
welfare of the North-East fishing families.
He has submitted a cabinet paper for the absorption of unemployed
graduates in Jaffna to the State sector, he said.
Following are the excerpts of the interview:
Q: Was anything discussed during your recent visit to Italy on
developing the local fisheries industry?
A: Yes. I visited the FAO and met the Assistant Director General and
held discussions on my proposals on FAO assistance towards developing
the fisheries industry. The newly appointed Director General was out of
the country. We had the first ever FAO Asian Fisheries Ministers
Conference in Colombo last May. D.Rohana Subasinghe, Consultant to the
FAO accompanied me.
My proposal, as the incumbent Chairman of the conference,
recommending the conference as an annual event was adopted. So in our
discussions we tentatively agreed to hold the next conference in
Kampuchea in April. I also made a presentation on the development of
fisheries, the FAO model, in our country.
I attended a function to felicitate the appointment as Monsignor of
one of our Catholic Priests Rev.Fr.Neville Joseph Perera, attached to
the Vatican. Importantly, it was a high position offered to the Vatican
and not to Sri Lanka. His Eminence Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith presided the
function. It was attended by a large number of Sri Lankans from all over
Italy. I was there as the representative of the President and I also
made a speech.
I also visited a large Boat/Yacht Building Yard near Milan. I held
discussions with the authorities. They agreed to come to Sri Lanka to
sign an MoU to start a boat/yacht building joint venture in
collaboration with Ceynor. This would immensely contribute towards
improving our Boat Yard at Mattakkuliya.
Q: The two-day conference of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Commission on
Fisheries was held in Colombo from January 13-14. Can you tell us the
salient issues that were taken up for discussion?
A: Cross-border problems and poaching were not discussed as main
issues but instead other matters relating to the sustainability of the
fisheries industry were discussed. Several encouraging proposals were
put forward by the Indian delegation.
This included an undertaking by fisheries authorities of the Indian
States to institute arrangements to release Sri Lankan fishermen who get
apprehended in their territorial waters, soon without detaining them for
long and without producing them in Court . While Tamil Nadu is already
doing that the other States including Andra Pradesh and the Indian Union
Territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands agreed to follow suit. Tamil Nadu
delegates also agreed to expedite the process so as to be able to
release the fishermen within a week. The decision was implemented after
the conclusion of the conference. As a gesture of immediate response the
Sri Lankan fishermen who were kept in detention for over a year in the
Andaman & Nicobar Islands for poaching were released and sent back to
Sri Lanka. This was a significant aspect of the discussions.
Q: Diplomatic circles, in the recent days, have focused maritime
security as a matter of much concern in the region. Was this also
discussed?
A: That was not discussed at this conference but the issue relating
to the North-East fishermen's problem came up for discussion. Our
delegation expressed its desire on maintaining the International
Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) without being violated by the two sides.
The Indian delegation wanted more time to completely stop poaching in
Sri Lankan territorial waters.
Q: What measures have been taken to ensure that the Sri Lankan
territorial waters are not violated?
A: The Navy and coast guard have been deployed. But their strength is
not enough to stop large number of vessels entering Sri Lankan waters.
Q: Former Indian President Dr. Abdhul Kalam has during his recent
visit to Sri Lanka, proposed that fishermen of the two countries should
go fishing on three alternate days in a week irrespective of territorial
boundaries and they should also go deep sea fishing. He has proposed it
as a solution to the cross-border issue. Your comments on this please?
A: We cannot agree to such proposals because it will very much affect
the livelihood of the Northern fishermen and they are strongly opposed
to it.
Q: Beginning from the mid 80s,families of the Northern province went
across the Palk Strait seeking asylum in India, particularly in Tamil
Nadu. A majority of over 100,000 who were given asylum are fisher
families. They are now being repatriated in a phased manner. Have any
programs been formulated by your Ministry to provide relief and
rehabilitation assistance to such fisher families?
A: We have already launched our programs to provide assistance to all
the resettle families. Over Rs. 2 billion was allocated for such
assistance in the last two years. Consequently the fish production has
doubled in the last two years. My Ministry does not have, until now, any
special programs for the resettlement of the fisher-families returning
from India. The programs being implemented are common to all families.
Q: The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to help our fishing vessels to
get to fertile fishing zones and to prevent them from entering
territorial waters of other countries was to be implemented at the
beginning of this year.Can you please tell the present situation with
regard to this project?
A: The project proposal is now at its final stages. Our proposal on
that is now with the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC). Once it is
approved by TEC, it will be sent to the Cabinet Negotiating Committee (CNC)
for their evaluation of the financial commitments. After that it will be
submitted to the Cabinet for approval and implementation. This process
will take a few months.
Q: The Dikkowita Fishing Harbour, one of the biggest in South Asia,
was originally scheduled to be completed last month. Will it be
commissioned as scheduled?
A: The work on the overhead road built by the contractors was
rejected by my Ministry as it had not been done according to
specifications. The road is mainly for the use of the local community
and they will be unhappy if it is not done properly. The contractors now
have to break it and do it anew. Once that is done, the harbour will
become operational.
Q: Your Ministry is in the process of implementing programs to
address the malnutrition problem throughout the country. It has been
reported that malnutrition is high among children in the Northern and
Eastern provinces. Do you have special programs for them?
A: Malnutrition is comparatively high among children in the Northern
and Eastern provinces because of the long-drawn-out conflict.
Malnutrition is due to protein deficiency and one of the best
alternatives is consumption of more fish. We want to provide fish at
affordable prices so that people, especially children, will be able to
consume more fish.
This program is for the whole country and, I am sure, the Northern
children will benefit.
Q: Fish canning factories in Galle and Peliyagoda were in the
pipeline of the programs of your Ministry. What is the present state
with regard to these?
A: The canning factory at Galle is ready and they are doing the trial
run. The Peliyagoda factory will be ready soon.
The factory at Mundel, Northwestern province, is also on a trial run.
Hence we will open the first two factories in Galle and Mundel next
month.
Q: The insurance scheme for fishermen was another major project
undertaken by your Ministry. Have the targets been reached?
A: Last year we passed the target. The target was for 7500 fishermen
and it was exceeded. The target for this year is 15,000. Anyway, I have
now taken a decision to make insurance compulsory to all fishermen as
from April this year. Those who do not get insured will not be allowed
to engage themselves in this industry.
We will cancel registrations of vessel owners who take to sea
fishermen without insurance.
The Government cannot be paying compensations out of its funds every
time something happens to the fishermen. I have already prepared a
Cabinet paper and sent it to the Cabinet for payment of compensations,
running to several millions of rupees, to the fishermen who were killed
in the cyclone.
Q: Has your Ministry initiated measures to protect the mangroves,
coral reefs and other fish breeding grounds that are likely to be
damaged under the tourism promotion programs?
A: We have taken measures to safeguard the mangroves and other fish
breeding grounds and in the meantime, we are also developing Fish
Aggregation Devices (FADs) which will be introduced throughout the
country including in the North and the East. This is for breeding more
fish than the breeding under natural environments. We have already
introduced the program in Beruwala. We have banned the use of mechanised
boats in rivers close to sea or lagoons because that will disturb the
breeding pattern of fish. Only the use of canoes and hand-paddled boats
are allowed for the use by tourists.
My Ministry had also banned all illegal and destructive methods of
fishing a year ago. The Ministry is implementing it strictly.
Q: What about the pension scheme for fishermen?
A:A pension scheme for fishermen is being implemented.
Q: Will more Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) retail stalls be
opened?
A: Last month we opened two in Anuradhapura. Currently we have 107.
Cash-flow is the only problem that we face. To get over that we have
invited a Saudi Arabia company to join us.
The company will invest US$ 300 million with the CFC and it will make
it possible for us to involve ourselves in buying of fish directly from
fishermen and sales.
We will be able to directly intervene in the market. We will be able
to set up a good network to increase production and sales throughout the
country. We can spread our wings through the CFC and the Cooperative
City. These facilities will enable us to decide the price of fish.
Q: Have you already signed an MoU with the Saudi Arabia company?
A: Not yet. We are still negotiating on the terms and conditions. We
have consulted the Attorney General and got his advice. The investor is
to arrive here this week and we will make the final arrangements for the
investment.
Q: Will more CFC stalls be opened up in the North and the East?
A: Yes. Now we have a good transport system to bring fish to the
South. We have already engaged six freezer trucks for the purpose. The
fishermen of the North will get a good price for their produce.
Q: Will the Government offer employment opportunities to graduates in
the North?
A: I have already sent my proposals to the Cabinet on that. When the
cabinet approval is given all the Jaffna graduates who are unemployed
will be offered jobs.
Q: A 'Mother Vessel System' whereby mother vessels carrying all
requirements of the fishing vessels including food, fuel and water was
to be introduced. How far has this program made headway?
A: Before I took over the Ministry, certain problems had been created
with regard to the procurement of the fully-equipped 'mother vessels. I
am now in the process of sorting it out.
The contract had been given to a pseudo company in Singapore - just
only the name board. The directors of the company in Singapore and in
Sri Lanka were found to be the same persons. They, in turn, had given
the contract for manufacturing the mother vessel to a Chinese company.
Now we have got involved with three companies as stake holders and we
have to sign an MoU to bring the vessel. |