{"id":156782,"date":"2026-06-13T14:11:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T21:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=156782"},"modified":"2026-06-13T14:11:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T21:11:00","slug":"sri-lankas-fishery-harbours-a-neglected-national-asset-and-a-lost-blue-economy-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2026\/06\/13\/sri-lankas-fishery-harbours-a-neglected-national-asset-and-a-lost-blue-economy-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka\u2019s Fishery Harbours: A Neglected National Asset and a Lost Blue Economy Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

Sri Lanka is blessed with an extensive coastline and abundant marine resources. The country has established 21 fishery harbours around the island to facilitate anchoring and mooring of multi-day fishing vessels. In addition, the modern fishery harbour at Dikovita was constructed with facilities for traditional fishing craft and a separate section for large local and foreign fishing vessels, complete with freezer and cooling facilities.
Yet, despite this infrastructure, the fisheries sector remains one of the most neglected components of Sri Lanka\u2019s Blue Economy.
The Tragic State of Fish Handling
A typical 45 to 55-foot multi-day fishing vessel costing over Rs. 20 million lacks even basic freezing facilities. These boats do not carry generators or refrigeration systems. Instead, fishermen rely on several tons of flaked ice and a few batteries to power light bulbs during voyages lasting up to 21 days.
The fishing cycle itself is inefficient. It takes nearly a week to reach deep-sea fishing grounds, another week to catch fish, and approximately a week to return to port. The first catch often deteriorates significantly and is sometimes dried on board, while only the latter catches remain preserved in boxes filled with melting ice.
By the time these vessels return to harbour, a substantial portion of the fish is no longer fit for human consumption.
A visiting Japanese fisheries delegation once observed fish being unloaded at a harbour near Colombo and asked a question that should have embarrassed the entire nation:
Are these fish meant for human beings or for dogs?\u201d
That comment accurately reflects the poor standards of fish handling prevailing in many of our fishery harbours.
Failure to Modernise the Industry
For decades, experts have proposed the introduction of large fish collector vessels exceeding 150 feet in length. These mother ships would possess generators, freezing and cold storage facilities, first aid services, accommodation, and fuel supplies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multi-day fishing boats could transfer their catch at sea, enabling fish to reach markets in excellent condition while fishermen continue fishing operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Such systems are successfully used in several advanced fishing nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Unfortunately, successive governments failed to implement this proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


As a result, Sri Lankan fishermen continue to operate with outdated technology, losing both product quality and export opportunities.
Poor Infrastructure and Lost Export Markets
Anyone visiting a fishery harbour will observe the unacceptable conditions under which fish is handled. The containers and tubs used for fish transportation are often of poor quality and unsuitable for maintaining export standards.
International buyers demand stringent quality and hygiene standards. Sri Lanka frequently fails to meet these expectations, resulting in lost market opportunities and lower export prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The irony is that while Sri Lanka possesses some of the richest tuna resources in the Indian Ocean, we continue to sell much of our catch at lower values because of poor post-harvest handling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Forgotten Fisherman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fishing community remains one of the least protected sectors in the country.
Many fishermen have:
\u25cf No comprehensive insurance schemes;
\u25cf No retirement or pension benefits;
\u25cf No structured savings mechanisms;
\u25cf Limited access to healthcare;
\u25cf Little financial security for their families.
Consequently, many fishing families have experienced little improvement in their living standards despite the enormous wealth generated by the industry.
In countries such as Japan, South Korea, and many European nations, fishermen enjoy relatively high standards of living and receive substantial institutional support. They are respected professionals and integral contributors to national food security and exports.
In Sri Lanka, however, fishermen are often neglected and left vulnerable.
Disturbing Trends
Large multi-day fishing vessels costing nearly Rs. 40 million are being built in increasing numbers. While many operators engage in legitimate fishing activities, there are disturbing allegations that some vessels are also used for drug trafficking and other illegal activities because the profits can far exceed those from fishing.
This highlights the urgent need for better monitoring, regulation, and governance within the sector.
Time for a National Fisheries Transformation
The fisheries sector should not be viewed merely as a source of fish. It is a strategic component of Sri Lanka\u2019s Blue Economy.
The country urgently needs:
1. Modern fish collector vessels and offshore refrigeration systems.
2. Proper cold chain management from sea to market.
3. Hygienic fish handling facilities in all fishery harbours.
4. International standard containers and processing equipment.
5. Insurance, pension, and welfare schemes for fishermen.
6. Training and technology transfer programmes.
7. Better monitoring and governance of deep-sea fishing operations.
8. Investment in value-added fish processing and exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Sri Lanka possesses all the natural advantages necessary to become a major maritime and fisheries hub in the Indian Ocean. What is lacking is vision, planning, and sustained commitment.
The 21 fishery harbours scattered around our coastline are valuable national assets. Yet many remain underutilised and poorly managed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless immediate action is taken to modernise the sector and uplift the lives of fishing communities, Sri Lanka will continue to waste one of its greatest economic opportunities.
The Blue Economy cannot remain merely a slogan. It must become a national mission.
The time to act is now.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regards

Dr Sarath Obeysekera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr Sarath Obeysekera Sri Lanka is blessed with an extensive coastline and abundant marine resources. The country has established 21 fishery harbours around the island to facilitate anchoring and mooring of multi-day fishing vessels. In addition, the modern fishery harbour at Dikovita was constructed with facilities for traditional fishing craft and a separate section for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sarath-obeysekera"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156782"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156783,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156782\/revisions\/156783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}