The Government of Sri Lanka today gave its public support to the tuna fisheries improvement project (FIP) currently underway in the island nation.
Speaking at the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) booth at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, the Hon. Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, the Minster of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for the Government of Sri Lanka, said:
“The Government of Sri Lanka wishes to acknowledge the efforts of the Sri Lanka Tuna Fisheries Improvement Project and support the objectives and activities of this project. The stakeholders in this project have cooperated with good effect in practical efforts to achieve fishery improvement and we will continue to support them in the future.”
The Sri Lanka tuna FIP was established in 2010 with the objective of improving the environmental and social performance of the fishery and particularly ensuring:
- Strengthened fishery data collection and processing
- Enhanced monitoring, control and surveillance
- Implementation of a harvest control mechanism
The stakeholders in this project include the Sri Lanka Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, fishermen, exporters, suppliers and retailers. The FIP is currently coordinated by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving fishery management.
Note: The SFP/UK Buyer FIP closed in December 2014.