The Minister of Fisheries, Mr. Douglas Devananda, says that the new Fisheries Act will be drafted for the safety of fishermen as well as the preservation of marine resources, regardless of criticism leveled at it.
The minister expressed these views while attending the event to raise awareness of the representatives of the Fisheries Associations in Kilinochchi District about the new Fisheries Act.
The Minister went on to say that some parties are misinforming the fisheries community by claiming that this bill would permit foreign vessels to fish in Sri Lankan territorial waters. According to the minister, some of the people who level these accusations are ignorant of the fact that the 1979 Act was drafted allowing the foreign vessels to fish in Sri Lankan territorial seas. The Minister says that it will be amended and prepare a new Act, and after careful consideration of the matters contained there, he will give his approval for it.
He further said that the rights of the marine resources in the exclusive Economic Zone should belong to our fishermen and that he, as the Minister of Fisheries, would never give the marine resources of this country to foreign countries through the New Fisheries Act.
The Divisional Secretary in Punareen, the officials of the Aquaculture Development Authority and the representatives of the Fishermen's Associations in Kandawalei Punareen Palei participated in this event.
