A crucial meeting between the Sri Lankan government and the European Union will be held on Thursday to discuss the EU ban on Sri Lankan fish exports.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mahinda Amaraweera
The meeting comes as Sri Lanka recorded a loss of at least US$ 100 million last year due to the ban.
The EU imposed a ban on importing fish from Sri Lanka to EU countries in January 2015, due to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities carried out in Sri Lanka.
The decision to lift the ban comes after a special EU team visited Sri Lanka late last year to evaluate the progress made in ensuring that Sri Lanka complied with the necessary requirements to lift the ban.
A major share of the country’s fish exports amounting to over 65% were exported to EU countries, before the ban.
BBS Rep / April 21, 2016
The Sri Lankan politicians can’t hoodwink the EU fisheries inspectors like they so successfully do with the Sri Lankan voter time and again. After all Minister Amaraweera hails from the Hambantota District and served Mahinda Rajapaksa for a very long time. He is a seasoned wheeler dealer but he must change his negotiation tactics. Would be difficult to get any personal benefits from EU.
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Amarasiri / April 21, 2016
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mahinda Amaraweera
RE:EU Fish Exporting Ban: Crucial Meeting Today
“The meeting comes as Sri Lanka recorded a loss of at least US$ 100 million last year due to the ban.”
Very good. Play by the rules, and we should be able to get our share of the fish catch and EU market share.
If we do not play by the rules, we lose. MaRa and his cronies never understood that.
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JJ / April 21, 2016
When will our ’eminently qualified’ ministers realize that international environmental laws usually benefit the individual country, as well as the world and adhere to the regulations imposed?
Of course we do realize that most of our ‘brilliant’ representative don’t have a clue about their individual areas of responsibility because they were political appointees with absolutely no expertise in the subjects under their purview.
What the hell does this minister know about Fisheries and/or Aquatic Resources????
Now the country will have to suffer due to another environmental debacle. Hopefully this will make sufficient impact to rectify this problem ASAP.
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Spring Koha / April 21, 2016
””’What the hell does this minister know about Fisheries and/or Aquatic Resources????”””’
Yo, they say that he has a tank full of guppies at home. Doesn’t that make him qualified?
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JJ / April 21, 2016
[Edited out] Please write instead of posting links – CT
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sr / April 21, 2016
“EU fish exporting ban, crucial meeting today.”
Ah; we’re going to be at loss again; we bought some fish at a cheap price for sometime and going to miss it.
EU please stop buying fish from us as we want to give nutrition for our children. Set very high standards until we start catching in plenty.
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SJ / April 21, 2016
Can someone get the EU interested in the “illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities carried out (by Indian poachers) in (the northern waters of) Sri Lanka”?
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