Fishing industry investment zone to be set up in the North

Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Ministry is to develop a specialised investment zone in the Northern Province, which will be dedicated for the fishing industry, Minister of State for Fisheries Piyal Nishantha announced.

This strategic endeavour aims to attract investments related to the fisheries sector, fostering economic growth and generating substantial employment opportunities for the citizens, he said.

Furthermore, the State Minister underscored the proactive measures that have already been initiated to combat the fishing mafia, a network of intermediaries who have profited unjustly at the expense of both the fishing industry and consumers.

Within the Jaffna district, various services are provided by agencies affiliated with the Fisheries Ministry,

These services included mobile fishing services, issuance of fishing ID cards, registration of fishing boats and resolution of communication issues concerning fishing signals.

A testing centre affiliated with the NARA Institute is set to be established in the Kilinochchi district.

Plans are underway to release fingerlings into lakes, rivers and reservoirs within the province, particularly the Iranamadu Reservoir to improve inland fisheries sector.  

The minister expressed the government’s commitment to the freshwater fishing industry, as evident in the distribution of approximately 54 million fingerlings among freshwater reservoirs countrywide.

Fisheries projects aimed at boosting foreign exchange earnings, such as seaweed cultivation and sea leech breeding will be implemented with state assistance, he added. (Bandula)