Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-12-12

Authorization for the construction of a new Brackish Water Shrimp Farm in the Puttalam District

- Brackish Water Shrimp Farming is the main commercial aquaculture activity presently carried out in Sri Lanka and in the Puttalam District alone where it is found more popularly there are 1,320 shrimp farms in an extent of 4,500 hectares. The main source of water supply for these farms is the Dutch Canal that connects Chilaw, Puttalam and the Mundalama lagoons. Taking into consideration, the adverse effects caused to the industry due to exceeding of its maximum limits of water intake and the non availability of an adequate water source to open up farms, the usage of new lands for shrimp farming in the District was terminated in the year 2003.

By now the usage of water in the Dutch Canal is carried out sustainably by providing water on a seasonal time table. Similarly, the semi intensive farming method presently adopted under a low stocking density in place of the high intensive farming method has prompted for new proposals being made to open up shrimp farms in the Puttalam District. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Mahinda Amaraweera, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, to take up project proposals which could be assured to have high potential with the objective of promoting shrimp farming industry in the Puttalam District under the high intensive farming method only, under a strict regulatory method, was approved by the Cabinet.