Considering Sri Lanka covers an area of 21,500 square kilometers, it has an almost incalculable amount of fishing resources. The UN-mandated Exclusive Economic Zone extends over 517,000 square kilometers.

Sri Lanka’s total marine fish catch amounted to 415,490 MT (242,580 MT of coastal fish catch and 172,910 MT of Offshore and Deep-Sea fish catch). In 2019, 90,340 MT of inland and aquaculture fish were produced. A total of 28,771 MT of seafood and fishery products were exported in the same year, generating foreign exchange earnings of $81.3 million.

The fisheries sector of Sri Lanka plays a key role in its economic and social development. The number of individuals engaged in this industry, either directly or indirectly, is estimated to be around 2.4 million.

Furthermore, Sri Lankan’s consume about 50% of their animal protein from fish, three times more than the global average.  Therefore, Sri Lanka’s fisheries must be managed sustainably if it is to continue to provide food security and livelihoods for its people, as well as create new jobs and export opportunities.

In order to increase industry profitability and attract foreign investment, the Sri Lankan government has taken a number of steps. For example, a new Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) was implemented by Sri Lanka to monitor their deep-sea fishing fleet in order to remove the EU catch ban. Furthermore, Sri Lanka has undertaken measures to enhance the recognition of Sri Lankan seafood as being obtained in a sustainable manner. This has been achieved via the initiation and execution of the fisheries improvement project (FIP) for longline tuna and billfish (LT&B) as well as blue swimmer crabs.

Sri-Lanka is now taking another step towards sustainable development of its fishery by developing a specialized investment zone

As per the statement made by the minister, the primary objective of this program is to draw investments pertaining to the fisheries industry, facilitate economic expansion, and create a significant number of employment opportunities.

Inside the fishing zone, mobile fishing services, will be provided by agencies affiliated with the Ministry of Fisheries within the various districts. The services will include mobile fishing, fishing ID card issuance, boat registration, and communication issues regarding fishing signals.

Furthermore, a testing center affiliated with the NARA Institute will be established in Kilinochchi. There are also proposed initiatives to introduce aquatic organisms into various bodies of water, including lakes, rivers, and reservoirs located within the province, with a specific focus on the Iranamadu Reservoir. With the introduction of a new FAD machine, the fishing fleet will be able to harvest more fish in multi-day fishing vessels.

In addition, seaweed cultivation and sea leech breeding will be promoted as projects that will boost foreign exchange earnings.

Furthermore, the minister noted that approximately 54 million small fish have been distributed throughout freshwater reservoirs across the country as evidence of the government’s commitment to the freshwater fishing industry.

The provision of logistic assistance and the maintenance of these plans will be crucial in guaranteeing their successful execution. The Sri Lankan export market accounts for 0.2% of all world exports, ranking among the top 50. To maintain its success, Sri Lanka must diversify the livelihoods of fishers and their families and transfer part of the sustainable premiums earned through exports to premium markets to fishers.

Jaber Bin Abdul Bari
Department of Oceanography, NSTU

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The investment is part of a global project implemented by FAO in Sri Lanka with a total investment of USD 3.9 million.

The project will be implemented over a three-year period to ensure effective bio-security in shrimp aquaculture through digital technology. 

Through the project, FAO will build national capacity on various aspects of health management, bio-security, food safety, and analysis of bio-security systems and establish robust, disease early warning and monitoring systems that will support the sustainable development of the shrimp aquaculture sector.

The spread of diseases continues to be a constant constraint to sustainable aquaculture development, limiting yield, reducing profit and preventing investment. Improving the bio-security of the aquaculture sector will enable countries to grow more food efficiently, increase incomes, improve resilience, and reduce vulnerability to the impacts of higher food prices and other threats to national food security.

Speaking at the inception of the project, the Korean Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Santhush Woonjin Jeong stated “Sri Lanka is rich in human and natural resources.

This project is a great collaboration of the resources of Sri Lanka and Korea that will help realise the potential of this beautiful country and achieve our common goals.”

The Minister of Fisheries, Douglas Devananda emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening the aquaculture sector in Sri Lanka and expressed his appreciation for the support extended. “Similar to other countries this industry faces many issues with diseases being the main challenge. I’m extremely grateful to the Republic of Korea and FAO for providing financial and technical support to strengthen the aquaculture sector in Sri Lanka.”

FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Vimlendra Sharan stated “As consumers have become more environmentally conscious, the standards of the aquaculture industry has been shifting towards producing smart, green and sustainable food products. Unfortunately, most aquaculture systems are not yet fully sustainable.

Investment in innovation and technology is vital to transforming the sector. Through this project, FAO will work closely with the Ministry of Fisheries and all stakeholders to introduce sustainable new approaches to strengthen the aquaculture sector in Sri Lanka.”

Teena Marian
Sri Lanka

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