Fishermen in Sri Lanka have called on the government to provide life jackets for them when engaged in fishing.
Fisheries Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne announced in Parliament last week that wearing life jackets and obtaining insurance cover had been made mandatory for all fishermen from January 1 next year.
The Minister said the decision was taken in order to ensure the safety and security of fisher folk and their families.
Meanwhile, the National Organizer of the All Island General Fisheries Federation Ratna Gamage said that while the life jacket is a compulsory part of a fisherman’s equipment, it is also the responsibility of the government to provide these life jackets to fishermen.
He noted that local fishermen are facing many hardships and are unable to afford life jackets by themselves.
“Even the fuel concession has not been given to the fisher folk for the past three months. With the current weather these fishermen are facing a hard time keeping their families fed,” Gamage said.
He said that in order to provide life jackets for the entire fishing community, it would cost the government approximately Rs. 400 million since there are about 200,000 full time fishermen in the country.
2000, 2012 by LankaPage.com (LLC)