Fishermen catching tuna for export market have criticized the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) and the Department of Fisheries for not making available any facility to modernize their boats to suit the present competitive, market conditions.
This was revealed at a recent seminar on awareness creation on new technologies for the offshore fishery sector in Sri Lanka for owners and skippers of multi-day fishing fleets, conducted by the Board of Investment (BOI) in collaboration with NARA and held in Negombo.
These fishermen pointed out that they are unable to come up with type of investments proposed by the BOI as most of them are single boat owners and requested assistance to form companies with groups of these fishermen.
One fisherman said that though the BOI boasts that they assist investors to set up joint ventures etc, the officials are not that cooperative and instruct them to go to various lawyers, etc to get the necessary formalities attended. He said that these persons to whom they are referred to demand various amounts to attend their job.
He said that he has got down an Irishman who was prepared to invest on three occasions and on all the three times the investor went back to his country disappointed.
A.M.C.Kulasekara, BOI Deputy Director General, Investment, assured the fisherman-investor that they always assist the investors, noting that it is only a one page application and over the counter the matters would be settled. Mr Kulasekera requested this fisherman to meet him the next time he comes with the foreigner and he would personally attend to the matter.
At this seminar instructions were provided as to how tuna fish is handled in catching them and care taken in chilling, storing and packing for export. Also these fishermen were told that to catch tuna for the export market modern equipment should be fittd to their craft.
Some of these fishermen also complained that they are not getting a fair price for their fish and said that the best share goes to the exporter and the middleman. A representative of the exporters indicated that the contention of these fishermen was not true as when they process the fish for export, the waste is as high as 49 % and after deducting for all these their profit margin is very much less.
Overall the seminar was very informative and the boat owners, specially the skippers grasped the instructions on how to use modern methods and also various essential information like how to use satellite technology, radio signaling equipment, marine maps, and most importantly how to handle tuna for export. |
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