Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Mahinda Amaraweera had given instructions to the Ceylon Fishery Harbors Corporation for the implementation of the Digital Harbor Project.
Accordingly, the first stage of the program was inaugurated at Mirissa Fishery Harbor in Matara District recently. Five fishery harbors including the harbors of Mirissa, Suduwella and Dikowita were added to the chain of Fishery Harbors with Digital Technology.
The Digital Harbor program aims to handle the information of the employees attached to Fishery Harbors and the fishers leaving the harbor for daily fishing. The program through satellite technology will receive information on the fishermen which will aid officials to provide protection to the fishers at sea in emergencies while also to check whether the fishers are accessing a maritime boundary of another state or straying into foreign waters.
The Digital Harbor Project would be of immense help in discharging the functions of Fishery Harbors more transparently and efficiently, the Ministry added.
The owner of the boat will receive a text message to his mobile phone whenever the boat is fueled, mentioning the amount of the fuel provided. Therefore, it is anticipated to carry out the functions of Fishery Harbors more transparently.
Currently, a total of 1,645 fishing vessels were permitted to be engaged in fishing on International Sea and only 1,400 out of them were given permits. The remaining is expected to be given to large scale fishing vessels.
