An important meeting of the Trincomalee District Fisheries Coordination Committee was held at the District Secretariat yesterday under the patronage of the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Mr. Rathna Gamage.
The meeting, which was held at the invitation of the Government Agent, was attended by Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra, Members of Parliament including Mr. Roshan Akmeemana, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr. Warnan Perera, Additional Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Chairpersons and members of the Pradeshiya Sabhas, and representatives of the Sri Lanka Navy and Police.
Trincomalee is a major fishing district after Jaffna, and many issues faced by the fishing community were discussed at this meeting.
Illegal Fishing Activities:
Strong attention was paid to illegal fishing practices such as the use of explosives and the use of small mesh nets at night, and the Deputy Minister was instructed to take urgent action to stop these activities.
Inter-institutional Cooperation:
The Governor of the Eastern Province and Deputy Minister Gamage emphasized the importance of all parties working together to solve the problems of the fishing industry, increase the harvest and encourage the export of value-added products.
New Pension and Insurance Scheme:
Awareness on the new pension and insurance scheme introduced for fishermen was raised at this event. This will enable the spouse to receive pension benefits in the event of the death of a fisherman, and the pension amount will increase every 5 years.
Environmental Pollution and Regulation:
Concerns were expressed about the environmental damage caused by the discharge of waste water into the sea by certain institutions in the coastal area. Deputy Minister Gamage requested the relevant institutions to control this process. He also assured that the possibility of amending the existing regulations regarding the harvesting of conch and sea cucumbers by night diving would be explored.
Infrastructure and Fuel:
The need to establish new bunker stations in areas such as Verugal and the need to establish kerosene stations for outboard motor vessels was also emphasized. The Deputy Minister stated that the relevant authorities have been informed in this regard.
Fishermen representatives stated that this was the first time they got the opportunity to present their problems directly in this manner.
