In line with the ‘Ratam Ekata’ national campaign, the Ministry of Fisheries and its affiliated institutions successfully carried out a series of comprehensive awareness programmes in the Southern Province under “Poisonous Drug Prevention Week,” which commenced on 01 March, with the objective of preventing the use of fishing vessels for drug trafficking.
Under the first phase of the initiative, programmes were conducted in Hambantota and Matara districts on 04 March and in Galle and Kalutara districts on 05 March under the patronage of the Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Mr. Susantha Kahawatte. Ensuring high-level representation, the Naval and Coast Guard Commanding Officers responsible for the respective districts also participated:
- Hambantota: Commander (Marine) S.D. Weerasinghe, Commander (Marine) M.N. Hettige
- Matara: Commander (Signals) E.D.S. Dissanayake
- Galle: Commander (Signals) W.M.T.B. Walisundara
- Kalutara: Lieutenant Commander (Sway) W.W.M.D.R.S.B. Dissanayake
As the sea route has been identified as a major pathway for narcotics entering the country, the primary focus of these programmes was to educate owners and pilots of multi-day fishing vessels. During the sessions, the Sri Lanka Navy briefed participants on its maritime operations and vessel inspection procedures, while officers from the Police Narcotics Bureau shared insights from past investigations involving vessels used in drug trafficking. These discussions aimed to equip vessel owners with the knowledge required to identify suspicious activities at an early stage.
Addressing the gathering, Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Susantha Kahawatte, stated:
“Using the sea route for drug trafficking is a serious threat to our country. The reputation of the entire fishing industry is damaged due to the actions of a small number of individuals. Our main objective is to educate boat owners and pilots and empower them to identify suspicious behaviour among their crews in advance. Through this effort, we hope to protect society from the drug menace and safeguard innocent fishermen from being exploited by traffickers. This represents the full contribution of the Ministry of Fisheries towards the national policy of building a drug-free country.”
The enthusiastic participation of multi-day fishing vessel owners and the constructive views they presented during the programmes were highly commended. Participants unanimously agreed to extend their full support to the government’s drug prevention initiatives.
This series of awareness programmes, covering four major fishing districts along the southern coast, concluded with notable success. The Ministry reaffirmed its continued commitment—together with the entire fishing community—to eliminate illegal activities within the fishing industry and support national efforts to combat drug trafficking.
