Steps will be taken to remove or destroy all the fishing vessels that have been abandoned within the fishery harbours as it is a breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes, said Minister Mahinda Amaraweera.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development and the Sri Lanka Fisheries Harbours Corporation launched a mosquito eradication program at the Dikowita Fishery Harbour premises, Wattala, concurrent to the National Dengue Prevention Program last week.
The program was also conducted at 20 fisheries harbours islandwide.
Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of State Dileepa Wedaarachchi, and officials participated. It is planned to continue such programs every week in the future.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that there were a large number of abandoned boats in fishery harbours and a majority of them were there due to court cases. Over the years, they have become dengue mosquito breeding grounds.
He said that over than 181 such boats are anchored at fisheries harbours, according to a field survey conducted by the Department of Fisheries.
“Steps will be taken to destroy or remove them on the advice of the Attorney General, as it is contributing to the dengue epidemic,” the Minister said.
Minister Amaraweera also said that the dumping of plastic waste into the oceans was a serious environmental problem in Sri Lanka.
Many empty plastic bottles enter the harbour premises through the breakwater. According to the data of the Dikkowita fishery harbour, thousands of plastic bottles are removed from the Dikowita fisheries harbour every month.