Sri Lankan O-Fish quality is one of the best in the World

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Development - Provincial

Sri Lankan O-Fish quality is one of the best in the World - President,O-Fish Association ^Featured

November 11, 2014

Dr Gerald Bassleer, President-Ornamental Fish Association addressing the first Sri Lankan International Ornamental Fish Trade Conference 2014 (SLIOFT) inaugurated yesterday at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo. declared: “I have been in this industry for 37 years. Since my last visit to the country 20 years ago, I have seen big changes here. The quality of Lankan O-Fish now is one of the best in the world. We clearly see the great quality of Lankan live fish arriving in our ports-with high survival rates, with diverse range of colour and a good price. The secret for Sri Lanka’s success is the on-going quality controls implemented within fish farms itself with support from your government.”

“Now we are in the era of economic development with Sri Lanka, developing as an export led economy. All our indicators are favourable. EDB has immensely contributed to the growth” said Bandula Egodage (Chairman & CEO-EDB), addressing the event, and added: “The EDB assisted quarantine quality assurance for 26 main exporters, focusing on the survival quality and lowering Dead on Arrival (DoA) rates of our live fish. With the intervention of Sri Lankan Air Force Commander, new initiatives have been introduced to deliver live fish stocks without opening them while at transit, so that DoA rates are lowered even further.”

“We are world’s oldest gold fish breeders with the discovery in North Central region of centuries old gold fish breeding tanks of ancient Sri Lanka, called as Ran Masu Uyanas” said Rajitha Senarathna (Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development), addressing the event, and added: “From a cottager industry it has now grown to a truly modern industry exporting to more than 40 countries. Despite turbulence, our exports to EU have shown an average 10% growth over the last five years. The appearance of over 110 aquariums in Colombo shows that there is expansion in local O-Fish industry as well. My Ministry continues to be an active partner in the development of O-Fish in Sri Lanka.”

Also joining were INFOFISH Director Dr. Abdul Basir Kunhimohammed, Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Rajitha Senarathna, Dy. Minister of Industry and Commerce V.A.D.L. Wasantha Perera, Dy. Minister of Economic Development Susantha Punchinilame, Dy. Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Sarath Gunarathne, Ministry of Industry and Commerce Secretary Anura Siriwardena, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Secretary Dr. D.M.P. Dissanayake, EDB Chairman/CEO Bandula Egodage,FAO Sri Lanka Representative Beth S. Crawford, top officials from EDB and other fishery stakeholders.

The 10-11 November SLIOFT will also focus on recent advances in different sub sectors like O-Fish farming, health, live fish survival rates and methods in exports, etc. More than 200 local and international delegates from Sri Lanka, Singapore, Israel, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Norway Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, and Australia are taking part in the two day sessions in Colombo.(KH)