The island-wide ban on the use of fishing trawlers with 40 horsepower engines is now lifted, opening more opportunities to develop the fisheries industry.

Accordingly, permission has been granted for Southern fishermen to use trawlers with 40 horsepower engines for fishing while fishermen in the North and East are allowed to use trawlers with 30 horsepower engines.

The Defence Ministry earlier banned 40 horsepower engines island-wide and took 141 such trawlers into custody. The decision for the lifting of the ban was taken after a discussion between the Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development.

A decision was also taken to appoint a taskforce including the members of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Conservation Department to solve fishermen’s issues and prevent illegal fishing.

The total area of the sea is now opened for Sri Lanka’s fishermen excluding the areas which are yet to be de-mined in the North.