The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry has made plans to put together a Special Raid Unit to detect illegal inland fishing activities. At present, freshwater fishing is carried out in 12,000 tanks in the country, with around 40,000 fishermen engaged in the activity.
The National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) has released around 110 million fingerlings into inland water sources during last year, to acquire a harvest of 86,000 metric tonnes. NAQDA’s aim is to achieve a fish harvest of 157,000 MT by 2020.
It was learnt that as a result of the use of illegal fishing gear such as monofilament, the inland fish population has been dwindling as such methodologies prevent the growth of smaller fish. People using such fishing gear harvest a large bulk of fish in one go.
Furthermore, due to such banned methods, fish that normally grow up to 1.5 kilograms in weight only reach a weight of just 200 grams.
Fisherfolk had made complaints to NAQDA,
State Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi had instructed the chairman and the director-general of NAQDA to form a special squad stationed at its head office with the support of the police and the Special Task Force.
Meanwhile, under the programme to release fingerlings to tanks in Anuradhapura, 90,000 fingerlings were released into the Mahadiul Wewa, Kon Wewa, Bendi Wewa, Kaluabe Wewa, Keerigas Wewa; as well as the Nawakkulama, Malawa, Mankadawala, and Kudakekirawa tanks, recently.
Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs, Livestock Development, Irrigation, and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister P. Harison and Anuradhapura District Parliamentarian Chandima Gamage were also present at the event.
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