Fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne faulted the Department of Meteorology  for not forecasting the storm that developed in the sea off the south recently  even after the  National Aquatic Researches and Resource Development Agency (NARA) transferred the scientific  information gathered regarding such a development. A number of fishermen who ventured out to sea for fishing died as a result of this storm.

Dr. Senaratne said that he restrained himself from revealing this earlier. However, in response to a question by JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in this regard the Minister said that the Department of Meteorology did not even accept the scientific information transferred by NARA.

“They said that there would not be such bad weather. Hereafter, we are planning to warn fishermen on such impending natural disasters. We will also alert  fishermen on fish finding in the sea.  Fishermen who have the Global Positioning System(GSP) facility can  access such  information  by NARA,” he said. (Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera)