EC to evaluate fishing-vessel monitoring systems

8 September 2015 03:26 pm Views - 3087

Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, who assumed duties at the ministry today, said the European Commission (EC) would send technical evaluation officers to Sri Lanka next month to check on the measures taken towards the revocation of the European Union's ban on our fish exports.

The ban on Sri Lanka's fish exports to the EU countries came into effect in January, 2015 because of the failure to comply with the monitoring and surveillance standards on fishing vessels that went out to sea.

The technical evaluation mission will visit Sri Lanka on October 5 end on October 9.

“We are taking measures under the instructions of the EC to get the ban revoked. The Fisheries Department had appointed a committee to monitor the progress of the measures taken by the Ministry,” the minister said.

In keeping with another EU requirement, the Fisheries Ministry had installed monitoring systems on 1,019 fishing vessels.

Meanwhile, commenting on the fishermen's issue, the minister said they would hold discussions with the Indian Central Government on this crisis.(Darshana Sanjeewa)