No compensation for the destroyed Sea- Cucumber farm while foundation stone being laid in Mannar for new Farm and Economical Zone

Pooneryn fishermen expressed concern over foundation stone for a new sea-cucumber farm and Economic Zone is being laid, while no compensation is being paid for the already established and destroyed Sea-Cucumber farm or assistance given to establish a new one.

The fishermen of Poonakary earlier established 20 Sea-Cucumber farms privately and through their Fishermen’s Societies as from 2015 and engaged in breeding Sea-Cucumber. But due to the floods in 2016 all the Sea-Cucumbers were destroyed.

We spent hundreds of thousands of rupees in establishing the Sea-Cucumber farms. Our farms were each in extent of 200 x 200 meters. We also spent lot of money in buying, nets, to a distance juveniles, and other things. During the floods in 2016, flood water invaded to a distance of 10 Kilometres into the sea and the decrease in salinity killed all our Sea-Cucumbers. We lost millions at that time. We informed everyone about our losses but nothing was done for us.

In this context we are highly worried that foundation stone is being laid for new farms saying them are the first ever ones in Mannar,  they said.

The Director of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Kilinochchi District Sri Ranjan also confirmed their story saying that farms were established from Poonakary to Kowtharimunai.

NAQADA, which implemented the project said that Colombo and District Secretariat were informed of the losses but nothing came out of it.