At the invitation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Rathna Gamage participated in the 'ZGC 2026 Forum Annual Conference' held in Beijing from March 25 to 27.
The conference, which was attended by representatives from many countries including Australia and Germany, was organized under the themes of AI technology and marine environmental conservation.
Delivering the inaugural address, Deputy Minister Rathna Gamage emphasized that as a strategically located island nation in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka's food security and economic growth are highly dependent on the ocean. Therefore, he pointed out that it is a timely need to work in cooperation with developed countries like China for ocean management.
The Minister stated that Sri Lanka expects to receive China's support, especially in formulating ocean policies based on scientific data, introducing modern fishing vessel technology, monitoring ocean resources through satellite technology and deep sea exploration. He further explained the importance of strengthening student and technical exchange programs between research institutions of the two countries to sustainably utilize ocean resources in the face of climate change.
Representing Sri Lanka on this official visit, Prof. P.K. Jayantha, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna, and Prof. Sanath Hettiarachchi, Chairman of NARA, also participated and presented their views while addressing the conference.
