National Fisheries Vessel Census Begins Today (4)

As part of the program, all OFRP and MTRB vessels are required to be presented for the census, and relevant fishing communities have been informed accordingly.

The Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, and Ocean Resources highlighted that while fiberglass boats are essential to Sri Lanka’s fishing and maritime industries, abandoned or decommissioned vessels have now become a significant environmental, social, and economic concern.

Due to the lack of proper disposal methods, these vessels degrade into microplastics, posing threats to marine ecosystems. Additionally, toxic chemicals from these boats can leach into soil and water, causing further damage. Other negative impacts include serving as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and spoiling the aesthetic beauty of coastal areas.

Fiberglass recycling is a difficult and costly process, and most often, these boats are disposed of by burning, which further harms the environment.

In response to this issue, the "Clean Sri Lanka" initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries, has launched a nationwide census of all fiberglass boats starting today (August 4). 

This effort aims to identify and remove defunct vessels and introduce sustainable recycling methods.

Through this program, authorities aim to:

Clean up coastal environments

Reduce microplastic pollution

Control the spread of disease vectors

Free up valuable space for active fishing operations

This marks a major step toward achieving key national environmental and industry sustainability goals.