Officials directed to look into resuming fishing activities after recent maritime calamity

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the officials to conduct a proper study to allow the resumption of fishing activities in sea areas stretching from Negombo to Panadura, affected by the fire aboard MV ‘X-Press Pearl’.

The instructions came during a meeting on maritime calamities held at the Temple Trees on Friday (June 11).

PM Rajapaksa gave further directives to fully assess the damages caused by the cargo ship inferno after taking into account all sectors including environment, fisheries and economy.

The officials were also instructed to expedite necessary legal actions to obtain full compensation from the shipping company in question and to remove the wreckage of the vessel lying submerged off Sri Lanka.

Starting from next Monday, fishing communities afflicted by the COVID-19 outbreak will also receive the allowance of Rs. 5,000 granted to low-income families and Samurdhi recipients, the prime minister stated during the meeting.