Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera had given instructions to the Ceylon Fishery Harbours Corporation for the implementation of the programme and consequently the first stage of this programme was inaugurated at Mirissa Fishery Harbour at Matara District. Accordingly, 05 Fishery Harbours including the Fishery Harbours of Mirissa, Suduwella and Dikkowita were added to the chain of Fishery Harbours with Digital Technology.

The programme aims to deal with the information of the employees attached to Fishery Harbours and the fishers leaving the harbor for daily fishing. Apart from that, information is to be received through satellite technology in order to check whether the fishers are accessing to a maritime boundary of another state. At the same time, providing protection to the fishers at sea is also intended by this programme. Likewise, the Digital Harbour Project would be of immense help in discharging the functions of Fishery Harbours more transparently and efficiently. The owner of the boat will receive a text message to his mobile phone whenever the boat is fueled, mentioning the amount of the fuel provided. Therefore, it is anticipated to carry out the functions of Fishery Harbours more transparently with the use of methods as above mentioned.

The Hon. Minister participating to the event of opening the Digital Fishery Harbour at Mirissa, mentioned that EU sanctions on Sri Lankan fishing industry will able to be removed in near future as the government has already concluded fulfilling the recommendations with respect to the removal of EU sanctions. However, with the removal of EU sanctions, we are confronted with the challenge of receiving a fish production sufficient enough to be exported to the European countries. Currently, a total number of 1645 fishing vessels were permitted to be engaged in fishing on International Sea and only a number of 1400 out of them were given permits. The remaining is expected to be given to large scale fishing vessels. However, the Hon. Minister emphasized the fact that nor foreigners neither foreign companies, in any case, will be given permits to engage in fishing in SriLanka and only the local investors will be provided with such authority.

A group including the Chairman of CFHC, Mr. A. Abeygunasekara was present to the occasion and modern technical equipment donated by MOBITEL Pvt. Ltd for the coordination of functions in Fishery Harbours were distributed by the Hon. Minister.

(fisheries.gov.lk)