26-fold increase to SL's territorial sea area

3 December 2017 11:49 pm

The United Nations has agreed to add a territorial expanse amounting to 26 times of the country's land extent to the sea area surrounding Sri Lanka, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Sri Lanka is eligible under the Law of Sea to own this sea area because of the narrow and shallow strip of the sea located between Sri Lanka and India.

The documents to confer this sea area to Sri Lanka have been finalized and awaiting authentication with an allocation of Rs.25 million by the Sri Lankan government, the minister said.

The agreement is expected to take effect from March next year. (Dayaseeli Liyanage)