Sri Lanka Navy signs two MOUs with Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development

The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) at the Ministry of Fisheries yesterday (21). Accordingly Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Eng. Karunasena Hettiarachchi and Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries Mrs. Mangalika Adhikari signed an MOU on Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), meanwhile Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne and Chairman of NARA, Dr. Anil Premaratne signed another MOU in relation to the National Hydrography and Nautical Charting in the country.

The signing of MOU on Hydrography and Nautical Charting would pave the way for Naval Hydrographers to involve in national hydrographic operations and nautical charting activities hand in hand with NARA. As a result of the new collaboration the National Hydrographic Office will be jointly headed by the SLN and NARA henceforth and will lay a national strategy for hydrography and Nautical Charting in the future. The new coalition expects to complete surveying of national charting scheme concurrent with International (INT) scheme within next 2-3 years giving prominence to Electronic Navigation Charts (ENC) which will be produced for national and commercial use ensuring security of the navigation of the shipping community under International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

The occasion was attended by Director General Personnel and Chief Hydrographer of the Navy, Rear Admiral Sisira Jayakody, Director Naval Operations, Commodore Kalana Jinadasa, officials of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources along with the officials of National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency.