COLOMBO: The European Commission (EC) today announced that the fish ban imposed on Sri Lanka in 2015 by the European Union (EU) was lifted after a lengthy dialogue process.
“Sri Lanka has now successfully reformed its fisheries governance system. The country was issued with a yellow card in 2012 and been listed by the Council in February 2015. By today it has amended its legal framework, strengthened sanctions and improved its fleet control,” a press release published on the Commission’s website said.
It said Sri Lanka joins the growing list of countries (Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Korea, the Philippines, Fiji, Belize, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu) that have reformed their systems, following a warning by the EU on illegal fishing.
EU had also warned Kiribati, Sierra Leone and Trinidad & Tobago with yellow cards as they risk being uncooperative in the fight against illegal fishing.
