THE Government said that fish production in the North was expected to increase with the lifting of fishing restrictions in the North.
Senior Advisor to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Resettlement Development and Security in the Northern Province Basil Rajapaksa made known the Government’s decision on lifting fishing restrictions in the North.
Following the decision by the Government to lift fishing restrictions in the North fishing societies all over the country are happy that after 30 years, they are now able to engage in their chosen vocation 24 hours of the day.
As an incentive to increase production and marketing, the Government would transport the fish production in the North via the A-9 highway.
The prohibition enforced on outboard motors of vessels too had been lifted by the Government, Senior Advisor to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province, Basil Rajapaksa told a meeting with the fishing community at the Karainagar Naval Camp on Friday. There are over 18,000 fishermen engaged in the fisheries industry in the North.
The Government expects to increase fish production in the North. In 1983 the total harvest stood at 48,000 metric tons annually. This dropped to 2,300 metric tons last year due to continued threats that prevailed due to LTTE terrorism.
The removal of these restrictions has been a key concern among people in the area and political analysts point out that it is a measure of the Government’s confidence and commitment to ensure that the dividends of liberation accrue to the people as quickly as possible.
That this move comes barely a month after the LTTE was defeated indicates the speed at which normalcy is returning to the war-torn areas in the North and East.(Courtesy: Sunday Observer)
