Fisheries Ministry attributes 40% post-harvest fish losses to quality deterioration
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The Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ministry attributed reported 40% post-harvest losses in the fishing industry to quality and nutritional deterioration rather than physical discarding.
Ministry Secretary Dr. Kolitha Kamal Jinadasa said fish are rarely thrown away. Instead, inadequate cold chains, poor handling, and multi-day voyages degrade Grade A fish to Grade C, lowering prices from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 500–700.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation previously estimated post-harvest losses in deep-sea and offshore fisheries at 40% to 60%.
To address the issue, the ministry provided allowances for five collecting vessels to transport catches quickly and allocated funds for a 200-metric-tonne cold room for the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation.
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How the story developed
- EPresident Dissanayake announced tax breaks and construction grants to expand rural telecommunications infrastructure.
- EPresident Dissanayake announced plans to reduce state land allocation delays for key national projects.
- සිMinister Jayatissa announced salary increments for government employees and tax relief starting in January.
- EThis storyThe Fisheries Ministry identified poor cold chains and handling as causes for fish quality degradation.
