Devananda: Some EU conditions not reasonable

By Dinasena Ratugamage

Sri Lankan fishermen should adhere to globally accepted norms when operating in international waters, but the country should not agree to conditions that were impossible to implement due to local and regional conditions, Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda said.

The Minister made this statement during a meeting at the Ministry to discuss amendments to standards that Sri Lankan fishermen should adhere to when operating in international waters.

“60% of our fish exports go to the European Union. These countries give us GSP + and several other concessions. However, we must also communicate the ground realities here. We must not agree to standards, if we can’t implement them due to local and regional conditions. We should not try to mislead anyone. It is bad for everyone in the long term,” the Minister said.

Earlier the EU made a number of recommendations on what processes Sri Lankan fishermen should adhere to when operating in international waters.

EU earlier banned fish imports from Sri Lanka in 2015 for its alleged failure to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The ban was lifted in 2016. However the issue of IUU and practices by Sri Lankan fishermen have been causing continuous disagreements.