Colombo – The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will launch an island-wide census of fishing vessels starting today (August 4), with the first phase commencing at the Panadura Fisheries Harbor.

This is the first national fishing vessel census in nearly a decade and will continue until August 20. The initiative aims to update the records of approximately 50,000 fishing boats operating around the island.

According to the Ministry, the census seeks to identify active fishing vessels, decommission abandoned or damaged ones, and support environmental programs like “Clean Sri Lanka.” It is also intended to boost tourism and streamline the issuance of fishing operation licenses.

During the process, officers from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources will inspect each vessel at fishing harbors and mark them with a special identification sticker.

From next year, licensing and other relief services will be based on the information gathered through this census. The Ministry added that vessels not participating in the census will not have their licenses renewed.