At the end of February, the World Trade Organization’s (WTO), Trade Ministers’ Conference will be held, and a group of officials from the Ministry of Trade, including the Minister of Trade of our country Mr. Nalin Fernando will participate in it.
A discussion was held in this regard on 2024-01-12 at the Ministry of Fisheries under the auspices of the Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda since proposals to take certain decisions concerning the betterment of the Fishing Community would be submitted to this conference. Sri Lanka's permanent representative in Geneva also joined the Zoom meeting and made aware of the Fisheries Minister and the officials of many facts especially Sri Lanka Fishing affairs that are to be discussed at this conference.
Expressing views the Minister stated that at a conference held in Japan recently, he had pointed out that in order to secure and strengthen the Fishing Community of Sri Lanka which is a developing country, there are many other programmes that encourage them, rather than providing subsidies, and we should act in this conference with the same stand. Especially, the decision taken at this conference regarding the dwindling Tuna population may be disadvantageous to our fishermen and we should not allow this to be passed at the conference. The Minister instructed the officials including the Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce and the Minister of Trade and Commerce to seek assistance for Scientific Research to assess the dwindling Fish population and increasing Fish population in the ocean. At the meeting discussions were held to take decisions on the development of the local fishing industry and the export of Fish.
The Minister also said that Trade Ministers of all the Countries are due to participate in this conference and if more than 109 countries support any proposal presented at the conference it will become law, and therefore we should act more considerately at this conference.
Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries Miss. Nayana Kumari Somarathne, Secretary to the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, and many other officials including the Director General of the Fisheries Department Mr. Susantha Kahawaththa attended this event.
