Lanka to get S E Asia’s largest fishery harbour

Colombo: The largest fishery harbour in South East Asia will be constructed at Dikkowita in Gampaha district within two years. This will be funded by the Netherlands with aid of Euro 45 million, said Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Felix Perera. He made these remarks at the agreement signing ceremony.

Perera said one of the main issues Sri Lanka is suffering is the lack of technology and with only outdated methods unable to get a good price for our fish. This will be solved.

He said the Dikkowita harbour is being constructed under the Mahinda Chintanaya '100 harbour project'. The main objective of the harbour according to ministry is that there is no harbour from Colombo port to Beruwala in the South and Chilaw in the North, while fishermen in between engaged in deep sea fishing are facing various difficulties.

Therefore the harbour will be a solution to it, increase the catch, reduce the sailing distance and develop the services as fuel, water supply, electricity and ice and an opportunity to export fish as Dikkowita is close to Katunayake airport.