Batticaloa, October 4 - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (MFAR) distributed close to 2,628 fishing nets and 90 engines to 248 tsunami affected fishers this weekend. This distribution of fishing equipment was made as part of two separate projects funded by the Government of Japan and Belgium which provide necessary inputs to all tsunami affected districts.
The tsunami related damage to the fisheries sector was immense, it disrupted the livelihood of a vast number of people living along the coastal areas. In order to overcome the difficulties and restore normalcy in these areas, the Government of Japan provided a wide range of assistance under its various grant schemes. FAO has utilized 90 percent of the emergency grant funds out of the total US$2.67 million provided by the Government of Japan for relief and rehabilitation work in the fisheries sector in tsunami-stricken coastal areas including the North and East of Sri Lanka.
Beneficiaries selected by MFAR were given vouchers varying from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000, depending on the size of their boats. Beneficiaries employing canoes received vouchers sufficient to obtain 12 nets whilst beneficiaries operating six to seven metre long Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boats received vouchers for 24 nets. The nets are designed for fishing of hurulla (trench sardine) which is the main catch in the Batticaloa area.
Out of the 90 engines distributed, 58 Suzuki 9.9 horsepower engines and 2,628 fishing nets were purchased through a Japanese funded FAO project with the remaining 32 Yamaha 15 horsepower engines acquired by a Belgian financed FAO project.
FAO is the UN's coordinating agency for the rehabilitation of the fisheries and agriculture sectors in Sri Lanka. Whilst FAO and the Sri Lankan government's immediate priority following the tsunami disaster has been to get the fishers fishing and farmers farming again as soon as possible, the longer-term strategy is to improve the sectors as a whole with a view to raising the incomes of coastal communities.
For more information contact Mona Chaya, FAO Emergency Relief and Rehabilitation Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Tel: 011-2689363 / 4