A special team of representatives from the fisheries division of the European Commission (EC) is reportedly scheduled to visit Sri Lanka in June. The team is to study the steps taken by the Sri Lankan government on the EC recommendations when it suspended the import of fishery products from the island from 15 January 2015.

The EC team is to arrive in Sri Lanka, review the steps taken by the country to halt illegal fishing practices in the Indian Ocean and thereafter decide on future moves.

While the EC had continued to warn Sri Lanka to halt its illegal fishing practices in the Indian Ocean, and suspended the purchases of fishery products from the island as a punishment, local exporters of fish and fishery product stated that their businesses would have to close down if immediate measures are not taken on this issue.

Sri Lanka exports around 1,500 metric tons of fishery products monthly to the European Union, which is nearly 50 per cent of the islands fishery products.

Due to the ban, Sri Lanka loses around USD 200 million per year as revenue from fishery exports to the EU.

The EU urged Sri Lanka to set up a Vessel Monitoring System to halt some vessels under the Sri Lankan flag engaged in illegal fishing practices while violating maritime boundaries.

www.adaderanabiz.lk learns that the government has planned to complete the setting up of this Vessel Monitoring System before the arrival of the EU team in June and the work is proceeding.

The Prime Minister’s office is making a weekly review of the programme to implement the EU recommendations.