The Hon. Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Chairperson, in the Committee Stage on the Ministries of Fisheries; and of Rural Development, Social Security and Social Empowerment, I will first raise concerns of fishermen.

¶ 02 In the 1960s, Sri Lanka and Norway established “Sea-Nor” in Karainagar and Gurunagar to produce fiberglass boats and gear, supplying at low cost and creating employment. After the war, it deteriorated and now functions poorly. This concerns our people. Modernize it with new technology, secure funding from foreign partners and Government, and make it a strong enterprise supplying affordable gear nationwide.

¶ 03 In the North, particularly Jaffna, muddy sandbanks yield fish in demand in the South, with good prices. To prevent wastage and increase value, establish modern processing and value-add facilities and factories to uplift fishers’ incomes.

¶ 04 In 1983, due to prolific northern fisheries, over 40 percent of Sri Lanka’s fish consumption was met by the North, although only about 15 percent of the fishers were from there. Today, livelihoods are badly affected, notably due to trawling. Bottom trawling ignores species, size or weight, destroys benthic flora, coral and shells, and kills eggs and juveniles, undermining future stocks. It also kills small organisms vital to ecological balance, and burns large amounts of fuel, polluting the environment.

¶ 05 Northern fishers use traditional, nature-friendly methods without harming stocks. Yet, per Ministry and Navy data, daily fish worth Rs. 350 million in northern waters are plundered by hundreds of illegal Indian mechanized bottom trawlers. Our fishers remain without adequate income while over 500 such vessels violate our waters daily, causing an annual loss of about Rs. 127,750 million (Rs. 128 billion) to northern fishers.

¶ 06 A UNDP report on multidimensional vulnerabilities highlights severe vulnerability in Sri Lanka; Mullaitivu is highly affected by malnutrition. To tackle this, meet northern fishers’ needs, resolve issues, increase northern fish production, and thereby raise daily protein intake and build a healthier society. Boosting northern fisheries will raise GDP and foreign exchange. Take action accordingly.

¶ 07 Next, in the North there are many low-income families: elderly, disabled, substance-addicted, mentally ill, female-headed households, families of the disappeared, war-disabled, spinal cord injured, and people with chronic diseases — vulnerable groups. Through the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Social Empowerment, we have initiated programmes. There are allegations about beneficiary selection under “Aswesuma”; we have proposed improvements so that the deserving are reached.

¶ 08 Many live in fear — schoolchildren, women, elderly. We must provide proper social protection.

¶ 09 Small entrepreneurs face long-standing constraints. Provide guidance to raise productivity and income. War impacts created multiple social problems: lack of infrastructure, land, housing, drinking water, rural transport, and low incomes. Sri Lanka has many people with special needs, especially in Kilinochchi and Vanni.