Sri Lanka is considering acquiring a surveillance system from Austria''s Frequentis AG to better monitor its Exclusive Economic Zone and fight illegal fishing.
The main problem is poaching by foreign fishing fleets in deep waters of the EEZ over which the island has little surveillance capability now. Poaching by Indian fishermen in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait has also long been a problem.
The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has held talks with the Austrian government to obtain funds to acquire the surveillance system, ministry officials said.
They described the system as a multi-sensor surveillance system but gave no further details. The system is believed to partly involve the use of transponders on fishing vessels to enable authorities to track them.
"Foreign vessels are now able to enter our waters almost at will and exploit our fish resources," a ministry official said. "We presently lack the surveillance capability to prevent them."
The project is being evaluated by a technical committee appointed by the Cabinet of ministers that will also negotiate the deal.
Sri Lanka's finance ministry is also to negotiate with Raiffeisen Zentralbank AG to secure financing for the project, the cost of which is estimated at around 35 million euro.
