National Fishing Vessel Census Begins Island-Wide After a Decade

Island-wide National Fishing Vessel Census Begins Today After a Decade

The National Fishing Vessel Census officially kicks off today (August 4), marking the first such island-wide initiative in nearly ten years, according to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

The census begins at the Panadura Fisheries Harbor and will continue across all coastal regions of Sri Lanka until August 20. Officials from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) will be deployed to every harbor to inspect vessels and apply a special identification sticker.

The government aims to update the national fishing vessel database, which currently includes around 50,000 boats. Authorities will identify active vessels, decommission abandoned or dilapidated ones, and help remove them to support the “Clean Sri Lanka” environmental initiative.

Additionally, this effort will assist in regulating fishing licenses and enhancing tourism by cleaning up Sri Lanka’s beaches and harbors. Importantly, only those vessels that participate in the census will be eligible for license renewals and government relief programs starting next year, the ministry confirmed.

The census is a key step toward streamlining the fisheries sector, boosting sustainability, and improving maritime data infrastructure in Sri Lanka.