No licences for fishing vessels without safety jackets

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Deputy Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne yesterday said steps had been taken not to issue licences to fishing vessels from January, if they do not possess safety jackets.

“Many fishermen who set out to sea do not wear safety jackets and I have received reports that there were no safety jackets on board in numerous vessels that went missing,” the Deputy Minister said.

These measures were taken to guarantee the safety of the fishermen and their families.

“We introduced this rule for safety of the fishermen, not to punish anyone,” he said.

An officer attached to the Ministry would inspect the vessels to check whether there are safety jackets.

“We will issue the licence only when a vessel possesses safety jackets along with insurance,” he said.

“We urge all our fishermen engaging in fishing to take safety jackets with them. This is similar to wearing a helmet when riding a bike and a seat-belt when driving a vehicle. Keep it close so that you could wear it if the weather conditions worsen or the seas get rough” Mr. Gunaratne said.

He further said fisheries organisations had been informed about the new measures and the Ministry was expecting their co-operation in this regard.