Following diplomatic discussions held by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana and Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda during their visits to China, the Chinese Government has donated 75,000 fishing nets. Minister Devananda has organized the distribution of these nets to fishing communities in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
The distribution plan allocates the nets as follows:
- Jaffna District: 26,700 packs
- Trincomalee District: 15,100 packs
- Mannar District: 7,800 packs
- Batticaloa District: 9,850 packs
- Mulaitheevu District: 4,650 packs
- Kalmunai District: 5,600 packs
- Kilinochchi District: 5,300 packs
The nets have already arrived in Sri Lanka and are being transported to the respective provinces.
In addition, 16,200 bags of rice, each weighing 50 kg, have been received from the Chinese Government to support fishing families in the North and East. The rice distribution plan is as follows:
- Jaffna District: 1,335 families
- Kilinochchi District: 265 families
- Mannar District: 390 families
- Mullaitheevu District: 233 families
- Batticaloa District: 492 families
Each family will receive 20 kg of rice. Minister Devananda has instructed the Assistant Directors of the Fisheries Department to distribute the rice through Fishermen’s Societies.
A meeting convened by the Minister regarding this initiative was attended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, Mr. Nishantha Wickremasinghe, the Director General of the Fisheries Department, Mr. Susantha Kahawaththa, and the Assistant Directors of the Fisheries Department in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.