Sri Lanka’s Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has announced an insurance scheme for those engaged in fishing due to the “hazardous nature of their work”.
The government decided to introduce an insurance scheme to develop the fishing industry, the board said in a statement.
“This insurance scheme will provide benefits to fishermen in the event of accidents, disabilities and loss of life, etc., that may occur to them while engaged in sea work due to adverse weather conditions or any other emergency.”
The Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board has already introduced insurance schemes for various agricultural and agriculture-related sectors, including one for miners. The annually renewable accident insurance scheme will be implemented under the legal powers vested in the Board to implement pension schemes for the fishing community by the ‘Fishermen’s Pension and Social Security Benefits Scheme Act No. 23 of 1990’.