The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with financial assistance from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) is providing technical support to develop the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Sri Lanka.
This FAO-Norad global collaboration will work with the Ministry of Fisheries on three focus areas in Sri Lanka; develop capacities to implement robust Port State Measures to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), increase resilience of the fisheries and aquaculture sector to climate change, and reduce food loss and waste along the fisheries value chain in Sri Lanka. Secretary to the State Ministry of Fisheries Jayantha Chandrasoma, noted that Sri Lanka’s fisheries industry is undergoing many difficulties due to the increase in fuel prices, production costs and the increase in prices of fish. “Finding ways of reducing fish loss and waste, and reducing production costs by introducing energy efficient fishing vessels and use of alternative energy sources has been a challenge. With the support provided by FAO and Norway we will be able to address some of these key issues confronted by the fisheries industry.”
Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives,Trine JøranliEskedal stated, “fisheries remains one of the most important sectors for bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Norway, and I firmly believe this new collaboration will add value to Norway’s longstanding cooperation with Sri Lanka and the FAO. Fisheries and aquaculture contribute immensely to food security, livelihoods and economic development. Therefore it is crucial to protect fisheries and the abundant resources of this country. We are very keen to establish secure and sustainable fisheries ecosystems and increase capacity for sustainable production. This new project aims to safeguard the fisheries and aquaculture resources in Sri Lanka which is timely and important.”
FAO Representative for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Vimlendra Sharan, said: “FAO works to increase the resilience of people and their livelihoods in the face of threats and crises. To weather these difficult times and enable the long-term continuity of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, it is imperative to build institutional capacities that protect small-scale fishers who play a big role in feeding their families and the nation” Sharan noted.
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