The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth
Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth asked whether the Government would reconsider the ban on using winch machines in shore seine fishing, citing livelihood difficulties for 16 identified fishers in Pottuvil (Jalaldeen Square) and Kuda Kallli. He acknowledged the environmental rationale for the prohibition but proposed allowing controlled use of winches in a manner that avoids environmental harm while reducing the need to mobilize 30–50 labourers for each operation.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Thank you. My second supplementary: To protect beaches and the environment, shore seine fishers have been prohibited from using “winch” machines. While we accept the environmental concern, this has created livelihood issues. In Pottuvil (Jalaldeen Square) and Kuda Kallli areas, 16 identified fishers have lost income. Because winches are banned, they must gather 30–50 labourers each time, which is difficult. Can the Government reconsider the decision and allow the use of winch machines in shore seine operations in a way that avoids environmental harm and operational difficulties?
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Wednesday, 18 February 2026 ·No. 23308 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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/lk/speeches/20262
Cite as: The Hon. M.S. Abthul Wazeeth. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 18 February 2026. No. 23308. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/20262