Project to resurrect Mullaitivu fishing industry planned

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 January 2005, 11:27 GMT]
The Economic Consultancy House (TECH), a Non Governmental Organization that promotes socio-economic and technological development, and registered with the Government of Srilanka, has issued a project plan costing nearly Rs2 billion, to assist the more than 5700 fishing families in Mullaitivu district affected by the tsunami disaster to return to their traditional trade, TECH officials told TamilNet.

TECH expects to provide Rs 340,000 worth of assistance to each family to buy fishing nets (Rs 100,000), an outboard motor (Rs 150,000), fishing boat (Rs 80,000) and miscellaneous expenses of Rs 10,000.

Identifying that traditionally Mullaitivu fisher families have employed three types of fishing, deep-sea fishing by migrants maily from inland, coastal-net fishing and inland kalappu fishing, TECH estimates that 2000 families use kalappu fishing and these families which generally own small dwellings inland can start their trade as soon as they are given the assistance.

Others require assistance in resettlement.

22 villlages affected in Mullaitivu coastal areas are to be grouped into three zones, Chundikulam, Vadduvahal-Nayaru and Nayaru-Thiriyai and each of these three centers will receive a salt-grinding mill, ice manufacturing plant and a boat repairing facility as part of subsequent phases of the project.

TECH is soliciting funding from donor agencies and tamil expatriates for immediate implementation of the project.