News
Lankan fish exports exceed imports by USD 110 mn in first seven months of 2021
Text and pix by PRIYAN DE SILVA
Revenue from seafood exports had exceeded the cost of seafood imports by over 110 million US dollars during the first seven months of 2021 the State Minister of Ornamental Fish, Inland Fish & Prawn Farming, Fishery Harbour Development, Multiday Fishing Activities and Fish Exports Kanchana Wijesekera said on Sunday.
The Minister said that 99% of the annual requirement of dried sprats was imported and in 2020 over Rs. 31 million rupees had been spent to import dried sprats alone
Wijesekera said so, addressing the 261 entrepreneurs in the Matara district engaged in 11 related industries to ornamental fish breeding, inland fish breeding and the fish food manufacturing industry who were provided with financial grants at a ceremony held at Kamburupitiya.
New entrants to the industry received a grant of 100,000 rupees while those already engaged in the enterprise received grants of 250,000 rupees each. The Minister said that the government had allocated Rs. 565 million which would be disbursed among over 3000 entrepreneurs in the sector.
Wijesekera said that a person who had the basic infrastructure such as land and water resources, could earn Rs. 17.500 a month on an initial investment of Rs. 100,000. He said that state banks had been instructed to provide loans on concessional terms to those who wished to expand their enterprises.
Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Minister of Mass Media Dullas Alahapperuma, representatives of local government institutions and ministry officials attended the ceremony.
The Sri Lanka Navy seized an Indian fishing boat and apprehended 03 Indian fishermen while they were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, during a special operation conducted in the northern sea area off the Delft Island, Jaffna on the night of 17 Mar 25.
Taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen, the Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, trespassing into island waters.
The seized boat and the three Indian fishermen were brought to the KKS Harbour and they will be handed over to the Fisheries Inspector of Mailadi, Jaffna for onward legal proceedings
News
Police under greater pressure to track down IGP on the run as CA rejects bid to stay arrest order
Having dismissed the writ petition filed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon on the run, the Court of Appeal yesterday (17) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to arrest him and produce him in Court.
The IGP sought an interim injunction to prevent the execution of the arrest order issued by the Matara Magistrate’s Court on February 28 against him in connection with the shooting incident that took place in Weligama, Matara, on Dec, 31, 2023.
The Court of Appeal bench, comprising its Acting President Justice Mohamed Lafar Tahir and Justice Sarath Dissanayake dismissed the petition without a hearing.
The petition filed by Tennakoon before the Court of Appeal was earlier taken up for consideration on March 12 but the decision was put off to March 17.
The IGP’s legal team made a last minute bid to prevent an arrest order by submitting a motion requesting an opportunity to submit additional documents related to the case.
However, in terms of an agreement between the Attorney General (AG) and the counsel of six other policemen implicated in the Weligama shooting, the AG ordered the CID not to arrest the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) and five other policemen implicated in the case.
UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena on Sunday alleged that during the 1987-1990 period, the JVP killed approximately 1,960 UNPers.
The former Minister told the media that the Batalanda Commission report had given that figure in its third chapter. Addressing the media in Colombo, the former parliamentarian said that the JVP had targeted both UNP and leftist politicians during their second abortive insurgency.
The UNP victims included two General Secretaries of the party, Nandalal Fernando and Harsha Abeywickrema.
Abeywardena said that those demanding action against the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, on the basis of the Batalanda Commission report, had conveniently forgotten the atrocities perpetrated by the JVP.
The JVP-led NPP won both presidential and parliamentary polls last year.
Navy seize an Indian fishing boat poaching in Northern waters
Allen, Seifert and bowlers combine to hand NZ 2-0 lead in rain-shortened contest
Israel launches ‘extensive strikes’ on Gaza with more than 100 reportedly killed
-
Foreign News3 days agoSearch continues in Dominican Republic for missing student Sudiksha Konanki
-
Features5 days agoRichard de Zoysa at 67
-
News6 days agoAlfred Duraiappa’s relative killed in Canada shooting
-
Midweek Review6 days agoRanil in Head-to-Head controversy
-
Features2 days agoThe Royal-Thomian and its Timeless Charm
-
Features5 days agoSL Navy helping save kidneys
-
News3 days agoDPMC unveils brand-new Bajaj three-wheeler
-
Features2 days ago‘Thomia’: Richard Simon’s Masterpiece