Sri Lanka loses 40% of fish production to post-harvest waste

Daily Mirror and Newswire report that nearly 40% of Sri Lanka’s annual fish production is lost through post-harvest wastage. Both attribute the figures to the President’s Media Division, which puts yearly production at about 400,000 metric tonnes.

Newswire reports that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake chaired a discussion at the Presidential Secretariat on the 27th about 2027 Budget proposals for the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources. Newswire says participants considered ways to cut losses, increase production and improve incomes for fishing communities, with the president asking officials to prepare comprehensive plans to make the industry commercially viable.

Newswire reports that the discussion also covered making fish available at fair and affordable prices as part of efforts to reduce living costs. Participants reviewed the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation and Peliyagoda Central Fish Market Complex, including operational difficulties and infrastructure needs.

Newswire says the president highlighted modern fishing vessels as a way to strengthen deep-sea fishing, while officials considered private-sector investment. It also reports that Dissanayake directed Finance Ministry officials to develop loan schemes suited to fisheries businesses, and that the meeting examined sustainable coastal infrastructure, green harbour projects and expanded aquaculture.