By Imsha Iqbal Amidst the turbulent circumstances due to the prevailing pandemic, the fisheries sector of Sri Lanka has been able to earn $ 318 million during 2021, which is the highest export value from the sector thus far and over $ 100 million more than the previous year’s record. State Minister of Ornamental Fish, Inland Fish, and Prawn Farming, Fishery Harbour Development, Multi-Day Fishing Activities, and Fish Exports Kanchana Wijesekera stated: “With the challenges of the Peliyagoda cluster, domestic Covid-19 lockdowns, lockdowns in overseas markets, freight costs tripling, the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster, and the floods in the Puttalam District, the fisheries sector stakeholders and the officials working together have managed to record the highest export value in history – $ 318 million.” In accordance with 2020 statistics, it was reported that the export revenue from the aforesaid sector was $ 215 million.When it comes to shrimp farming, it was also equally significant owing to the highest production being recorded during the mentioned year with almost double the previous quantity – 14,415 MT. Wijesekera pointed out that there is, in fact, an increase of 162% in shrimp export value.At the same time, 74% of the export value was increased in ornamental fisheries with $ 21 million revenue and the domestic canned fish production increased from 90,000 cans per day in December 2020 to 220,000 cans per day in December 2021. Accordingly, a decrease of 76.2% in imports of canned fish has been reported from 2019. In 2019, canned fish imports amounted to 36,806 MT, whereas in 2021, canned fish imports had remained at 8,758 MT.
