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Solution to poaching in Lankan waters: Contradictory statements from Fisheries Minister

Published

4 years ago

2021/04/9

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda on Wednesday (7) contradicted a statement attributed to him regarding the continuing crisis over the Indian fishing fleet invading Sri Lankan waters.

The Fisheries Ministry quoted the EPDP leader Devananda as having told fisheries sector trade unions, at separate meetings held at his ministry that the Indian fishing fleet would be prevented from entering Sri Lankan waters before the end of 2021. Trade union representatives were accompanied by former lawmaker Nihal Galappaththi.

The assurance was given in the wake of fisheries trade unions complaining about Indian poaching and continuing harassment of Sri Lankan trawlers by the Indian Coast Guard when entering the Arabian sea via the Indian Ocean.

Minister Devananda explained steps taken by him to bring the situation under control. Claiming that he had held more than four rounds of talks with India, Minister Devananda said the talks meant to reach a consensus in that regard were continuing.

Pointing out that the northern fishing community had been the worst affected due to unbridled Indian poaching, Minister Devananda said that the impact would be devastating.

The Minister said that during his visit to New Delhi with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa last year, they had reached a consensus with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in that regard. However, it had not been possible to implement what was agreed upon due to outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister assured that once the ongoing Indian elections were over, he would seek Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s assistance having received instructions from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa to address the long-standing issue.

The minister said that pending finalisation of the proposed solution, illegal bottom-trawling had been prohibited and the Navy issued instructions to arrest those violating Sri Lankan waters.

However, a week ago, Minister Devananda said that he proposed to introduce a licence system under which Indian fishermen would be allowed to catch fish in the northern waters. They would be able to engage in fishing under tough conditions and controls, the former militant said.

In a statement issued by the ministry, the EPDP leader was quoted as having said that Sri Lanka could collect substantial revenue by issuing licenses to Indian fishermen and the project could be implemented under the supervision of the Navy.

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INS Sahyadri sets sail from Colombo

Published

5 hours ago

2025/04/7

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.

During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.

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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district

Published

10 hours ago

2025/04/7

Priyan

Color: -Red Warning (Take action) Color: -Amber Advisory (Be prepared) Color: -Green Threat is over

The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.

The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025

The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:

Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

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“Census of Population and Housing 2024” Report Presented to the President

Published

11 hours ago

2025/04/7

Priyan

The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.

This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.

The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.

The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.

The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.