All Ceylon Fisheries Federation, established to resolve the problems of Fisher Community strewn island-wide had been defunct in the past few years and has been now resuscitated to move ahead with its set objectives, consequent to Hon. Douglas Devananda’s appointment as the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. Mr. Nelson Edirisinghe, his Media Secretary has been named the Secretary General of the Federation to steer it ahead garnering the support of rural societies, having identified their problems and taking appropriate steps to amicably settle them.
Attention of the new office bearers to the Federation has been directed to garner the activists of rural Fisheries organizations with the aim of raising their economic standards by implementing diverse programs whilst adhering to Hon. Minister’s instructions. As a first step of this intended program Committee members of Rural Fisheries societies were invited to the Auditorium of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and an awareness program related to self-employment ventures in the Fisheries Sector was held for enhancing family income, headed by Mrs. Indu Ratnayake, the Ministry Secretary.
When Minister Devananda he made an observation tour to Modara area recently he was informed of the irreparable damage caused to the Fishing Industry in the locality due to the Commissioning of the Port City. As a result of Hon. Minister’s intervention calling for payment of compensation, a sum of Rs.70 Million was granted by the Port City Construction Company to be paid to the affected fishermen. As per instructions by the Minister, this sum of money is to be held as a fund against which recurring loans are to be granted to the fishermen for commencement of fisheries related self-employment ventures for uplift of economic standard of the fisher families.
Commencing the workshop, Mr. Nelson Edirisinghe, the Secretary General of the Federation, expressing his ideas said that the Federation was defunct during the past few years and with the appointment of Hon. Douglas Devanada as Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, he has been entrusted with the responsibility of garnering the support of fisher societies to implement programs for strengthening the family income of fisher folk, and it’s in such a process that that a sum of Rs.70 million was granted to the affected fishermen of Modara area as compensation by the Port City authorities and now plans have been drawn up to train those affected in self-employment ventures related to Fisher industries to strengthen their family economy, by way of loans granted against the said sum of money held as a fund.
Speaking at the occasion, Mrs. Indira Ratnayake, the Ministry Secretary said that Hon. Douglas Devanada, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is always bent to implement programs to enhance the living conditions of the fishermen. She also said that although fisher women are courageous they lack the capital for investment for commencing ventures to stand on their own feet and the program they commence today would give them the impetus for what they have been waiting for years - access to strengthen their family income for respectable living.
Mrs. Kumudini Dissanayake, Chairperson of Spices and Allied Products Marketing Board, participating at the Work Shop, addressing those gathered said that there is a gamut of self-employment vocation that could be done in the fisheries sector and during the period she was attached to the Ministry of Fisheries, she commenced several self-employment programs with the participation of fisherwomen all over the country and marketing their products wasn’t an issue as there was a high demand for their goods. She urged every committee member to contribute their utmost for a better tomorrow.
Mr. Kapila Gunaratne, Director, Development of the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, did the speech on leadership and leadership qualities; Mrs. Kumudini Gunasekara, Chairperson of Spices and Allied Products Marketing Brand and Mrs. Chitra Abeygunasekera did the speech on “Directing Women for self-employment vocations” and Mrs. Leela Ganegoda, Retired Co-operative Inspector delivered the speech on “Maintaining financial affairs of Fisheries Organizations.”
