ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka has untapped potential in marine linked activities, with 1,340 kilometres of coastline and two seasons that allow year-round action, and can be expanded into a billion US dollar industry quickly, an industry official said.
“The geographical location offers yacht chartering, boating, whale watching, whatever you call, all the sea-based activities,” Kaushal Rajapaksa, Chairman, Chamber of Marine Industries of Sri Lanka told participants of Voyage Sri Lanka 2024, a forum organized by the island’s Export Development Board.
“You can enjoy the sea year-round as well as sea-based activities. Expanding technological capacity and maritime services, we have advanced capabilities in boat building and whatever the activity is related to maritime.”
Despite the long coastline, and domestic manufacturers of leisure boats, there was a dearth of yacht marinas to get the sector moving.
Colombo Port City is expected to have a ‘mega marina’ by 2027. There were 21 fishery harbours around the country.
The chamber has been in discussions with authorities to set up mini marinas within the fishery harbours.
“We will be renewing the discussions with the present government to convert these 21 fisheries harbours partly for mini marinas,” Rajapaksa said.
“We have a success story, Honorable Minister, in the south, that is the Mirissa Harbor,” he said in an aside to Trade and Commerce Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe who was at the forum.
His own company Sea Leisure Yachting Group and 60 others were in Mirissa and working with fishermen and their families.
There was a training centre for children of fishermen.
“We give them semi-skilled, multi-skilled training and get them back if they wish to join the 10 jobs we have in water in Sri Lanka,” Rajapaksha said. “And this is not only our company, but this is followed by other boat manufacturers.”
The next project will be Beruwala, he said.
The chamber has also presented a development proposal to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to set up a mini marina in Galle Port until a mega marina is built under a public private partnership over the longer term.
Under the National Export Strategy Kapparathota in Weligama is to be developed to support local boat builders.
The Environmental Impact Assessment has been done and the report is awaited. The cabinet has approved a public private partnership.
“So it’s an opportunity, gentlemen, for the investors. I would say it’s a very quick one, low-hanging fruit, that you can invest in,” Rajapaksa said. ” Again, it will be a marina, plus on the other side, fisheries harbor.”
Chamber of Marine Industries of Sri Lanka has become a member of the International Conference of Marine Industry Associations.
“And we are getting the best of support and advice from the major players in the marine industry,” he said.
Over the past three years, memoranda of understanding were signed with the Maldives Boat Association, who attended the conference in Colombo. Singapore Boat Association, Indo-Sri Lanka Chambers and the Republic of Tatarstan.
“The reason for signing all these MOUs for the last three years is to open up for our industry as well as those countries to interact with our industry members and create opportunities for our industry to visit them and for them to come and visit us,” he said.
More partnerships will be forged to expand the industry.
Sri Lanka has several boat manufacturers including Neil Marine, Dhanusha Marine, Chalana Boat Yard and Sail Lanka.
Colombo Dockyard was also building larger ships and specialist vessels. (Colombo/Dec02/2024)
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