Fish imports to Sri Lanka had decreased by 23 percent this year, according to the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. He told The Island yesterday that the total fish and fishrelated products, imported to Sri Lanka in 2016, had been 120,000 MT but in 2017 the amount had dropped to 73,000 MT. The local fish production had increased by three percent this year, Minister Amaraweera said, adding that the total local fish production, in 2016, had been 379,000 MT, but in 2017 it had increased up to 389,000 MT. At the end of last month, the total fish exports had increased by 44 percent, he said. The Fisheries Ministry was planning to make the fisheries sector the third major foreign exchange earner by 2020, Amaraweera added. “All we have to do is to protect the international image of the Sri Lankan fish industry and export the best fish by promoting Made in Sri Lanka’ as one of the top quality brands in the world. We are exporting Sri Lankan fish under the brand names of Sri Lanka Tuna’, Sri Lanka Crabs’, Sri Lanka Lobsters’, Sri Lanka Shrimps’ etc. Out of these brands, Sri Lanka Tuna’ has been one of the most demanded brands in the world fish market.”