The 14th District Fisheries Coordination Committee meeting was successfully held on 16th of July afternoon at the Old Government Agent's Office, Batticaloa, under the patronage of the Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, Mr. Sunil Handunnetti, and the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Mr. Rathna Gamage.
The main objective of this meeting was to identify the problems faced by the fishing community in the Batticaloa district and provide prompt solutions to them.
The meeting, which was very successfully organized by the Batticaloa Government Agent, was attended by the Additional Government Agents and Divisional Secretaries. A large group of people representatives, including members of parliament of the district, mayors, Pradeshiya Sabha chairmen, members of urban councils and Pradeshiya Sabha, were also present on this occasion.
Several key issues raised by the fishing community in the Batticaloa district and the matters discussed in this regard at the meeting entitled
Key issues identified and solutions were:
Requirement of expanding the Valachchenai Fisheries Harbour: A strong need was pointed out to expand the jetty of the Valachchenai Fishery Harbour, which currently accommodates only 200-300 vessels. Since this is the only fishery harbour in this area, the fishing community emphasized the importance of expanding the harbour to accommodate 500-600 multi-day fishing vessels.
Illegal fishing and stealing of fish harvest: Attention was drawn to illegal fishing and stealing of fish harvest. The Deputy Minister stated that the Assistant Directors have confirmed the Ministry of Defense, Navy, Police and the Department of Fisheries have taken joint action in this regard and the stealing of fish harvest has significantly reduced through that.
Transportation Problems of Inland Fishermen: The transportation problems that arise when fishermen engaged in the inland fishing industry travel through wildlife and national parks were discussed. The fishermen requested the permission to use their motorcycles and other transportation facilities.
Environmental Conservation and Compliance with Rules and Regulations: Responding to this, the Deputy Minister of Fisheries emphasized the importance of environmental conservation and protection of wildlife. He requested that those engaged in the fishing industry should abide by all rules and regulations and should not violate them.
The ministers also mentioned several programs to be implemented in the future:
- Taking steps to stock fish fry promptly in small and medium-scale reservoirs.
- Improving road facilities required by the fishing community.
Representatives of several government institutions and leading institutions in the fisheries sector participated in this discussion. Officers from various government sectors, including the Navy, Police, Department of Irrigation and the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries, the Additional Director General of the Fisheries Department, the Assistant Director of the Batticaloa District, and other officials of the ministry also participated. The Chairman of the Fishery Harbours Corporation, the Chairman of the Fisheries Corporation, senior officials of NAQDA and NARA also participated in this and the active contribution of representatives of several fisheries organizations was also noticeable.
