Taking a decisive step towards resolving the infrastructure problems faced by the fishing community in the Northern and Eastern provinces, the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar, said that, Cabinet of Ministers has approved a provision of Rs. 1127.5 million for the improvement of the Valachchenai Fishery Harbour.
Speaking at a media briefing held at the Ministry of Fisheries, the Minister pointed out that the shortage of fishery harbours in the Northern and Eastern provinces is a major obstacle to the development of the fishing industry.
"Since the Oluvil Port, which was built for fishermen in the Eastern Province, has now become a sandbank and useless, fishermen from the entire province have to come to the Valachchenai Port. The arrival of between 500 and 800 vessels at the Valachchenai Port, which has facilities for only 300 vessels, has created severe congestion and pressure. The government expects to provide a permanent solution to that problem through this historic decision," the Minister said.
This project is scheduled to commence in 2026, and the capacity of the port is expected to be increased by extending the existing jetty by 300 meters and providing a number of modern facilities including the construction of internal port road facilities.
In addition to this project, the Minister emphasized that the government has taken several other steps to develop the fisheries infrastructure in the Northern Province:
* Mailiddi Port: Rs. 280 million has been allocated for its improvement, and its work is expected to be completed this year.
* Colombothurai Port: Construction has begun for its completion at a cost of Rs. 165 million.
* Gurunagar and Pesale: Steps have been taken to construct a new fishery Harbour in the -Gurunagar area in Jaffna, and plans are being made for a new port in the Mannar-Pesale area next year as per the public demand.
The Minister further said that the sole objective of the government is to empower the fishing community through all these development projects and upgrade fisheries industry of the country to a higher level.
