Japan and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a USD 1.33 million (about Rs. 436 million) project to restore livelihoods and rebuild the Eastern Province freshwater fisheries sector, with the agreement signed at the Japanese Embassy in Colombo on 29 May.
The project is funded by the Japanese Government with FAO providing technical support, Newswire reported. It targets fishing communities hit by Cyclone Ditwah, which displaced families across the Eastern Province and disrupted inland fisheries that depend on reservoir cage culture and breeding centres.
The funded interventions include the installation of 200 fish cages across 30 selected reservoirs, the provision of barrage net systems, upgrades to the Inginiyagala Fish Breeding Centre in Ampara, technical training for fisheries associations, and the free distribution of fingerlings and feed to cover the first cultivation cycle.
Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar called the project a milestone in modernising the freshwater fisheries industry and lifting fish production through advanced cage culture technology. Japanese Ambassador Akio Isomata said strengthening freshwater output was vital for Sri Lanka’s food security as the marine sector faces pressure from rising fuel costs, and reaffirmed Tokyo’s continued support for Sri Lanka’s sustainable development.
Chandrasekar has been the public-facing voice for the post-Ditwah fisheries recovery and was earlier in May in bilateral talks with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on bottom trawling. The Inginiyagala upgrades anchor the project in the Eastern Province dry-zone reservoir network, where freshwater fish are a major protein source for communities still recovering from the cyclone.
