The Hon. Imran Maharoof
Hon. Imran Maharoof asked why permits for night diving to catch cuttlefish, suspended since 2019, have not been restored, noting its foreign exchange value and asking whether NARA or NAQDA has issued guidance. He requested annual data on income from night-caught cuttlefish for 2015–2025 and sought clarification on lawful alternatives for fishermen affected by the prohibition on purse seine fishing, particularly in his district.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 I will conclude quickly.
¶ 02 Next, the permits for night diving to catch cuttlefish have been suspended since 2019. Could the Hon. Minister clarify the reason to this House? Since the country earns foreign exchange from cuttlefish, which can only be caught at night, can the permission to catch them be restored? Has NARA or NAQDA issued any guidance in this regard? I ask the Hon. Minister.
¶ 03 For the period 2015–2025, could the Hon. Minister inform this House of the annual income earned by the country from cuttlefish caught at night?
¶ 04 In our district, many more fishermen rely on fishing with purse seine nets. If this cannot legally be done, what type of fishing can they engage in? The Hon. Minister should clarify. Today, many of their livelihoods are being undermined because of the prohibition on purse seine fishing. This is a major problem in our district. Therefore, I request the Hon. Minister to pay attention to this matter and provide a proper solution. Thank you.
Provenance
- Source
- Hansard, Friday, 11 July 2025 ·No. 1753082553092748 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Imran Maharoof. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 11 July 2025. No. 1753082553092748. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/21226