Sri Lanka approves action plan to combat illegal fishing in South Asian waters

The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to the proposal presented by the Minister of Fisheries, Water, and Ocean Resources to sign the regional action plan regarding actions related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the region. 

The member countries of the Food and Agriculture Organization have unanimously passed the international action plan for the prevention, discouragement, and elimination of illegal, unreported, and unregulated catching of fish with the objective of restoring depleted fish stocks and ensuring food security in the year 2001. 

Accordingly, Sri Lanka has also prepared a national action plan for that purpose.
 
Further, the member countries of the Intergovernmental Organization have collectively agreed to sign the regional action plan.

This plan is expected to prevent, discourage, and eliminate the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the identical economic regions such as Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, as well as areas beyond the national jurisdiction in the surrounding sea and oceans. 

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the Minister of Fisheries, Water, and Ocean Resources to sign for the regional action plan.