Sri Lanka to expand vessel tracking to 1,500 fishing boats to curb mid-sea smuggling
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka will expand its Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to cover an additional 1,500 fishing vessels in a bid to curb illegal activities, including drug trafficking, human smuggling, and unregulated fishing, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said.
The Cabinet this week approved the proposal to mandate monitoring systems for these remaining vessels, with the government bearing the installation costs, he said.
Currently, out of 5,200 registered multi-day fishing vessels in Sri Lanka, 4,200 are fitted with VMS equipment funded by an Australian government grant.
While vessels registered after January 2021 must legally self-fund the equipment, approximately 1,500 older multi-day and one-day vessels continue to operate in domestic and international waters without tracking.
Officials noted that 400 of these untracked vessels exceed 34 feet in length and are banned from international waters, raising concerns they could be repurposed for illicit activities.
The remaining 1,100 lack the engine and fuel capacity for extended sea travel but still lack surveillance.
Jayatissa said that while specific vessels are not predetermined as threats, law enforcement acts on targeted intelligence.
“The situation is not that a specific predetermined portion out of all existing vessels is known to be engaging in such activities; rather, a number of arrests are made based on information received,” Jayatissa said.
Comprehensive tracking would streamline maritime security and law enforcement coordination, he told reporters.
“Through the process we are currently implementing, it will provide ease and facilitation for both the Department of Fisheries and the Police to carry out these operations,” Jayatissa said.
The expansion aligns with rules set by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, which mandates continuous monitoring for all vessels operating in international waters.
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