Sri Lanka will be the first country in the South Asian region and the second country after Thailand in SEA region to adopt the International Labour organizations (ILO) C188 – Work in Fishing Convention, said Chief Technical Advisor, ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Thomas Kring.
He opined this at the International Labour Organization (ILO), conducted a two-day knowledge forum, based on its flagship Local Empowerment through Economic Development and Reconciliation (LEED+) project at Movenpick Hotel Colombo yesterday.
Kring said that by adhering to the C188 – Work in Fishing Convention the Sri Lankan fishing standards would increase by high levels.
“This it will firstly give more security and protection for people involved in the industry. Secondly due to the adaptation of the C188 fish catching and storing standards would go up.’
“This in turn will be creating more marketing opportunities in foreign markets especially in Europe ad US and UK as these countries prefer to make purchases from C188 convection adopted countries.”
He said the Sri Lanka government is helping in this crusade and the process should be ready by the end of the year. It was also disclosed that ILO implemented their LEED+ project in several districts in the Northern Province and is nearing its closure after two successful phases, the first of which was initiated in 2011. A part of the ILO’s Global Jobs for Peace and Resilience programme, LEED+ is supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the Government of Norway.
‘The LEED+ program has directly benefitted more than 43,000 families over the past 12 years providing skills and knowledge to foster business growth and generate sustainable income,” Australian High Commission Sri Lanka, First Secretary, Development Cooperation, Erika Seymour said.
‘Despite the passage of more than a decade since the conclusion of the civil war, the lasting repercussions continue to affect communities in the Northern Province. The LEED+ project has played a significant role in equipping individuals from these communities with valuable skills, empowering them in their pursuits, and facilitating the attraction of private sector investments,” commented Royal Norwegian Embassy, First Secretary/Deputy Head of Mission, Hilde Berg Hansen. As a result of the 30-year civil conflict, the Northern Province’s poverty rates were higher than the national average and the LEED project utilized a strategy of revitalizing the northern cooperative sector, alongside connecting small-scale farmers and fishers in the region with businesses from across Sri Lanka.
Simrin Singh, Director of ILO Country Office for Sri Lanka and the Maldives stated ‘For over a decade, the LEED and LEED+ project has implemented strategies centered on improving livelihoods and job creation.”