Tangalle , May 21 – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources distributed five million rupees (US$48,172) worth of fishing gear on Saturday to fishermen in the Hambantota District who lost theirs in the tsunami.

A total of 225 packed net kits complete with ropes, floats and twine were given to more than a hundred beneficiaries selected by the Ministry in time for the south-west monsoon fishing season.

Many of the fishers had already had their boats repaired by the government-owned boat repair company Cey-Nor Foundation which FAO, using funds from a number of international donors, is supporting technically and financially. The nets distributed in Tangalle were purchased through an FAO project funded by the Government of Japan.

“This is part of a bigger contribution from FAO funded by many donors” said FAO Emergency Coordinator Ms Mona Chaya. “It will enable the fishers to get back to sea, get back to fishing and get on with earning their livelihoods.”

The nets were distributed at a small ceremony in the College of Fisheries and Nautical Engineering, Tangalle by the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Mr Nihal Galappaththi. “We thank all the donors in the world community and especially FAO for helping fishers to restart their economic activities” said Mr Galappaththi.

FAO has already ordered on the international markets more than US$1.5 million of fishing nets and equipment to be delivered between now and August.

The nets distributed on Saturday were for sardine, mackerel and lobster.

“The south-west monsoon is about to arrive which is the season for both sardine and mackerel” said Master Fisherman and Fishing Gear Specialist Cyril Binduhewa.

“People with boats larger than 18 feet were given two net kits, those with canoes were given one kit” Each pack of nets is worth around 20,000 rupees and the fishers were given the choice of which kind of nets they wanted.

Around 5,000 fishers were killed by the tsunami waves in Sri Lanka whilst tens of thousands of others saw their houses destroyed and their means of earning a living - their boats and nets- washed away.

According to government estimates, 54 percent of the total fishing fleet was either made un-seaworthy or was totally destroyed by the tsunami.

Through its partnership with the government and Cey-Nor, FAO has already repaired around 2,500 fishing boats in Sri Lanka and has supplied 75 percent of the funds and raw materials made available to Cey-Nor. FAO is also funding the repair of inboard and outboard marine engines. Fifty-seven inboard engines and 648 outboard engines have already been repaired by Cey-Nor using FAO funds. A further US$ 750,000 of FAO-funded engine repairs is planned as soon as the spare parts arrive from abroad.

One hundred and twenty-five new marine engines were distributed last week in Jaffna and a further 525 engines for other districts have been ordered and are due to arrive later this month. In his address, the Deputy Minister expressed concern about some of the types of vessels being distributed to fishers by some entities, without prior technical consultation with the department of fisheries. He said some of the boats being distributed did not meet safety standards.

FAO is the UN's lead agency for the rehabilitation of the fisheries sector. Whilst FAO and the Sri Lankan government's immediate priority following the tsunami disaster has been to get the fishers fishing again as soon as possible, the longer-term strategy is to improve the sector as a whole with a view to raising the incomes of coastal communities.