A meeting focused on fighting illegal fishing was held at the Parliament Complex, according to the Ministry of Defence. This meeting took place yesterday, on the 17th, and was led by Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, and Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Rathna Gamage. It was part of ongoing discussions about this important issue. During the meeting, participants talked about ways to strengthen prevention methods, improve law enforcement, and enhance cooperation between agencies to effectively address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing along with other illegal activities at sea. Key topics included poaching by both local and foreign fishing boats, harmful bottom trawling practices that damage the environment, unauthorized radio frequency use, and smuggling disguised as fishing activities. A major point of discussion was the need to suspend fishing licenses for local vessels that intentionally disable their Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to engage in illegal fishing and diving. The meeting highlighted the need for strong measures to prevent further violations and protect Sri Lanka’s marine and aquatic resources. Members of Parliament and senior officials from various departments attended the session to review enforcement and surveillance systems. This included representatives from the Sri Lanka Navy and Police, the Ministry of Fisheries, the Department of Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resources Management, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), and Sri Lanka Customs. The meeting reaffirmed the Government’s dedication to ensuring maritime security, enhancing coordination among agencies, and promoting sustainable management of the nation's aquatic resources, as stated by the Ministry of Defence.
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