The Government signed an agreement worth Rs 8 billion with the Netherlands government in aid to build a fisheries harbour in Dikowita to accommodate deep sea trawlers and develop the island's fishing industry.
The new port will be country's largest fisheries harbour with the capacity to dock 340 multi-day 65-foot trawlers and 150 smaller fishing boats.

Spread over 6.5 hectares, the harbour will be equipped with cold storage units, ice manufacturing machines and equipment to process the deep sea catch.

The Netherlands will provide 17.1 million euros as a grant, with the rest as a soft loan, Fisheries Ministry sources said.

After completion in two years, the port will directly help over 3,000 fishermen, sources added.