(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –According to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development figures the highest contribution to the increase in the total fish production in the year 2017 is from the coastal fishing industry.
During the period from January to September 2017, Sri Lanka harvested 335,750 metric tons of fish. This is an increase of 1.2 percent compared to 2016.
The bad weather conditions that prevailed during the year 2017 – the prolonged drought inside the island and rains in the coastal areas with rough seas – had a significant impact on raising the fish production.
Nevertheless, the highest contributor to marine fish production in the island is the coastal fishing industry providing 49.5 percent of the harvest.
In 2017 harvest obtained from deep sea fishing has increased 9.2 percent while the highest contribution to fish production is from coastal fishing industry.
Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera says that the consumers have the opportunity to increase the consumption of fresh fish by obtaining most of the country’s daily requirement of fish from the coastal fishing industry.
Minister Amaraweera states that the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry has taken steps to further increase the number of outlets of the Fisheries Corporation to provide fresh fish to the consumers.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development has planned to set up another 50 new outlets of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation in 2018.
