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Govt. delegation EU bound to discuss implementation of its recommendations
A high level team will leave the country tomorrow to discuss its implementation of the EU’s recommendations, preventing Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated Fishing, Acting Minister of Fisheries Sarath Kumara Gunaratne said yesterday. This is the second meeting with EU representatives in two weeks.
He said the team comprising Deputy Finance Minister Dr Sarath Amunugama, Director General of the Fisheries Dept, Nimal Hettiarachchi and a representative from the Attorney General’s Dept, held discussions with the EU officials and submitted proposals on implementing the recommendations. Mr Hettiarachchi said the Government had submitted a progress report at the technical meeting held last week.
“The response was good. Our Deputy Finance Minister is going to discuss EU concerns with the EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.” he said.
He said they have explained to them in detail about the implementations of the recommendations made by the EU. ”We have even signed an agreement with an EU company to fix Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to all boats going deep-sea fishing,” he said.
However, a spokesperson from the EU told the Sunday Times, “So far, a number of measures have already been implemented, however, other important actions related to the control of the high-seas fleet, have not yet been launched by the Sri Lanka Government.”
The spokesperson said the EU is constantly monitoring the process of implementation of the recommendations to Sri Lanka. Acting Minister Gunaratne added that, already two Lankan companies had started to export fresh fish and fishing products to Russia, as there is a market for Lanka’s fish products.
Recently, the External Affairs Ministry said that the Russian government approved 14 Lankan exporting companies to export fish products to the Russian region.
In a separate development, Acting Minister Gunaratne said the Government is negotiating with India for the release of 38 Indian fishermen in Lankan prisons in exchange for the release of 40 Sri Lankan fishermen detained in Tamil Nadu and Andra jails for poaching.
“We have sent this request through the Indian High Commission in Colombo, as we cannot do this at a ministerial level. Since the meeting between the two countries’ leaders on the sidelines of the SAARC conference held in Nepal, they have agreed to work on this to solve this issue,” he said.