Norway Pledges Advanced Satellite Technology to Boost Sri Lanka's Fisheries Monitoring

A Sri Lankan delegation, led by Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar, held high-level discussions with officials from the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries in Oslo on April 23. The talks primarily focused on modernizing Sri Lanka's fisheries sector and enhancing technical expertise. Norway has committed to providing Advanced Satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) data technology to strengthen Sri Lanka's fisheries monitoring capabilities. This initiative, discussed under the 'Blue Justice' program with its head Gunnar Stølsvik, aims to improve vessel surveillance and combat illegal fishing activities. Discussions also explored the possibility of Sri Lanka receiving this advanced technology free of charge.