EU ban on Sri Lankan fish exports completely lifted

The European Union (EU) has completely lifted the ban on fisheries exports from Sri Lanka, the Government Information Department said today.

Prior to the ban imposed in January 2015, the EU accounted for nearly one-third of Sri Lanka’s fish exports in terms of volume and about 40 per cent of the exports in terms of revenue Against the total fish export earnings of $ 267 million that year, Sri Lanka got $ 108 million from the Europe.

The ban was imposed on the ground that Sri Lanka indulged in “illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.” 

The EU Commission’s recommendation to revoke the ban had been forwarded to the EU Council in April and this was expected to come into legal effect by July.

In the run-up to the EU’s decision, the Sri Lanka government took a number of steps to have the ban lifted. Rules and regulations were introduced in tune with international norms and new regulations framed for high seas fishing. A national plan was prepared to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Though the EU had decided to impose ban in October 2014, it implemented the decision three months later.