Sitting of Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Source: Hansard PDF (parliament.lk) ↗ ·No. 1752660241032216 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
Order of business
Speeches load per item. Summaries shown here are AI-generated and labelled; verbatim text is on each speech page.
- 1 Opening Parliament Opening 1 speeches
- 2 Papers Papers: Annual Performance Reports 9 speeches
- 3 Petitions Petitions 7 speeches
- 4 Oral question Oral Question: Digital Transformation and Education Reforms 18 speeches
- 5 Procedural Procedural: Points of Order on Question Time Conduct 22 speeches
- 6 Oral question Oral Questions to Prime Minister: Pension Disputes and FDI 11 speeches
- 7 Oral question Oral Question: National Hospital Kandy (Q.614/2025) 7 speeches
- 8 Oral question Oral Question: Fish Catch, Import and Export (Q.637/2025) 18 speeches
- Catch, Import and Export of Fish Since 2015: Details
AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy asked the Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources to provide annual data from 2015 to date on Sri Lanka’s fish catch, income from fish exports, and expenditure on fish imports. He also requested details of measures being taken to increase the national fish catch, and asked for reasons if the information could not be provided.
- The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar — Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources
AI summary The Minister tabled data on fish production, export earnings and import expenditure for 2015 to the first quarter of 2025. He outlined measures to increase fish stocks and catches, including artificial reef deployments, an FAO-assisted deep-sea longline pilot, inland stocking of fish and prawn fingerlings, provision of offshore stock data to fishers, and installation of barrier nets to prevent fish losses from tanks during heavy rains. He also stated that monthly stocking of 100–120 tanks a year began in 2025, with plans to raise inland harvests by about 20,000 metric tons annually, expand fingerling production through three new hatcheries, and promote value addition programmes prioritizing women in fishing families.
- The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB
AI summary Requested that the Minister table the remaining part of his reply so it could be studied.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar JJB
AI summary Ramalingam Chandrasekar stated that he was tabling the remainder of a reply. No further substantive policy position, proposal, or question was presented in the excerpt.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB
AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy questioned the adequacy of Government support for fisheries in Puttalam District, stating that despite its reliance on both marine and inland fisheries, it received less than five percent of Budget allocations and was not mentioned in plans to increase catch. He cited declining fish catch from 2015 to 2024 and LKR 39 billion in fish imports in 2024, urging modern technology, coordinated programmes, and institutional collaboration to expand domestic production. He also highlighted the lack of chilled storage facilities for inland fisheries as a factor increasing fish prices.
- The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB
AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy requested additional speaking time, noting that Members have limited opportunities to ask questions, sometimes only once in three or four months. He argued that it would be unfair if only the Minister were granted extended time.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake JJB
AI summary Bimal Rathnayake raised a procedural concern about the length and language of ministerial replies, noting that Members may not understand responses given in a Minister’s mother tongue. He said his observation carried no ill intent and urged Ministers to answer briefly to avoid the government side gaining undue speaking time.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB
AI summary Asked whether a structured programme using new technology could be implemented in Puttalam District to improve both inland and marine fisheries. He framed the request as a measure to benefit the local population dependent on fisheries.
Agriculture Full speech → - The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar JJB
AI summary Ramalingam Chandrasekar objected to Opposition members mocking his use of Tamil, stating that it was his mother tongue and did not affect the time taken to respond. Addressing a question on fisheries, he said institutions under the Fisheries Ministry were in poor condition, lacked insurance coverage, and that the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation was incurring a Rs. 1,600 million loss. He said the Ministry was working on solutions, including specific measures to develop marine and inland prawn and fish production in Puttalam, and invited members to raise particular interventions with him.
- The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB
AI summary Hector Appuhamy rejected a Minister’s allegation that the Opposition had taken a racist position, stating that no Opposition member had insulted the Tamil language. He requested that the record or impression be corrected accordingly before proceeding with his supplementary question.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Speaker procedural
- The Hon. Hector Appuhamy SJB
AI summary Hon. Hector Appuhamy stated that no one had mocked the Tamil language. He then yielded his second supplementary question to Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi SJB
AI summary Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi raised recent incidents in the Southern Province in which several multi-day vessels and small boats were destroyed and fishermen went missing, while acknowledging the Ministry’s search assistance. He proposed compensation comparable to a previous President’s Fund payment of LKR 500,000 per deceased fisherman’s family, requested insurance coverage for partially damaged recovered vessels, and asked whether the fuel subsidy is being provided.
- The Hon. Rathna Gamage — Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources
AI summary Rathna Gamage objected to the manner of questioning during the sitting and declined to respond in that context. He indicated that he would answer the question outside the Chamber.
Parliamentary Procedure Full speech → - The Hon. Ramalingam Chandrasekar JJB
AI summary Ramalingam Chandrasekar said recent accidents affecting Southern fishermen highlighted shortcomings in existing fisher insurance, pension, and accident protection schemes. He stated that the Government has appointed a dedicated committee to conduct a scientific review of these schemes and will take measures for affected fishers based on its recommendations.
- 9 Oral question Oral Question: Ragama–Peralanda Tank Development (Q.6511/2025) 6 speeches
- 10 Oral question Oral Question: CIABOC Cases Against Politicians (Q.712/2025) 7 speeches
- 11 Oral question Oral Question: Velanai DS Division Post Office (Q.950/2025) 7 speeches
- 12 Oral question Questions under Standing Order 27(2): Paddy Purchase, Rice Import, Horticultural Crops; Question of Privilege 13 speeches
- 13 Procedural Procedural: Questions of Privilege and Parliamentary Conduct 18 speeches
- 14 Papers Papers: Rubber Control (Amendment) Bill 3 speeches
- 15 Procedural Procedural: Setting Sitting Hours 1 speeches
- 16 Adjournment Adjournment Debate: Easter Sunday Terrorist Attacks (21 April 2019) 146 speeches