The Government will purchase fish stocks from multi-day fishing trawlers in compliance with the COVID 19 health guidelines and distribute them to produce canned fish, Co-Cabinet Spokesman Plantation Industries Minister Ramesh Pathirana said.
He was responding to a question by a journalist at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held online yesterday.
Minister Pathirana said that the Fisheries Corporation is purchasing the fish stocks that have been accumulated due to the shutdown of most fishery harbours to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the country.
The Minister expressed his gratitude to the Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda and State Minister Kanchana Wijesekera for taking immediate action to purchase the fish stock.
As the situation that arose three days ago is easing and the health sector has actively intervened and given permission to remove the restriction that fish should not be allowed to land for 72 hours, the Fisheries Corporation has now fixed the price of the fish stocks obtained.
He said that in addition, due to the problem faced by the fishing community, the Government has proposed to remove the tax concessions imposed on salmon and to use these fish in large quantities to produce salmon to give some impetus to the fish trade.
He said that the Government has allocated Rs. 200 million for the purchase.
