Fisheries Ministry aids cyclone-affected fishermen

Colombo, June 19 (Daily Mirror) - Fishermen affected by Cyclone Ditwah in the Jaffna, Mullaitivu, and Mannar districts received boats and fishing nets under a recovery assistance programme at a special ceremony held at the Sea Nor Boat Factory premises in Karainagar.

The distribution was led by Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, who handed over the equipment to beneficiaries from the affected fishing communities.

Under the first phase of the programme, 32 fishing nets valued at Rs. 1.8 million and 18 fishing boats worth Rs. 8.64 million were distributed. Each boat was valued at Rs. 480,000.

Of the 18 boats distributed, three were allocated to the Jaffna District, including two for Delft Island and one for Karainagar. Thirteen boats were provided to fishermen in the Mullaitivu District, while two boats were allocated to the Mannar District.

The event was attended by several government and fisheries officials, including Additional Government Agent for Jaffna K. Sivakaran, Karainagar Divisional Secretary Niranjana Navaratnam, Sea Nor Boat Factory Director Rohan Jayalath, and Sea Nor Boat Repair Company Chairman Wasantha Manapperuma.