Performance Report – 2010 - Ministry of Finance and Planning

Special meetings have been organizedunder the patronage of the Hon. Ministerof Economic Development, Mr. BasilRajapaksa, for plan 2010/11 Mahaseason, with special attention torevitalizing the agriculture sector in theNorthern and Eastern ProvincesThe officers in the Department ofNational Planning attended the Steeringcommittee meetingof the Dry ZoneLivelihood Support and PartnershipProgramme and Enhancing FoodSecurity and Nutrition among the mostvulnerable farm families in Eastern SriLanka. In addition, officers haveparticipated in progress review meetingsand Policy review meetings.Fisheries and Aquatic ResourcesThe development of the fisheries sector hasbeen given strategic importance in thenational development plan of the country.The fisheries sector development plan wasintroduced. In terms of construction, thecentral fish market at Peliyagodacommenced in 2010 at a cost of Rs. 7.9 bn.Construction of a number of fishingharbours, anchorages and landing sites atstrategic places are in progress. The totalinvestment is estimated around Rs 2,000 mn.The total contribution of the fisheries sectorto the GDP was 1.5 percent in 2010 and theoutput of the sector has increased by 13percent in 2010 compared with year 2009.The marine and inland fish production hasincreased by 13 percent and 12.5 percentrespectively in 2010 compared withproduction in 2009. The fisheries sector hasshown a steady growth after the tsunami.This is as a result of the policy initiativesand considerable investment of the sector forthe development of off shore, inland andaquaculture sectors.The composition of the marine fleet willundergo a slight variation with the absolutenumber of offshore/deep sea and high seasvessels increasing by 838 i.e. by 34 percentover the ten year period while the coastalvessels will increase only by 698 i.e. by lessthan 2 percent.The contribution of the high seas/offshoresub-sector in terms of volume will increasefrom 95,995 metric tons to 183,020 metrictons i.e. by 90 percent over the ten yearperiod while the production in the coastalsector will increase by nearly 114,000 metrictons. This apparent high increase is due tothe very adverse impact of the tsunamiwhich dragged down coastal fish productionto very low ebb in the two years of 2005-2006. This ten year target for coastal fishproduction is in line with the resourcelimitations in the coastal sub-sector.Sri Lanka possesses suitable and abundantwater and land resources for thedevelopment of a viable inland fishing andaquaculture industry. After a setback in theearly 1990s, this sub-sector has beenrejuvenated with the re-establishment of theInland Fisheries Division (1994) and thesetting up of the National AquacultureDevelopment Authority (1999).Table 2 National Fish Production(Metric tons)YearCoastalSeasOffshore/ High&aquacultureInlandFish:2004 154,470 98,720 33,1802006 121,350 95,999 36,5302007 224,320 123,950 40,9002012 228,482 153,000 55,7002016 236,132 183,020 74,450146