Oluvil Harbour Transformation into a Fisheries Hub

The transformation of Oluvil Harbour into a fisheries hub is a significant development for the region. Located in the Ampara District of Sri Lanka, Oluvil Harbour has been upgraded to accommodate the growing demand for fish and seafood.

The harbour's new infrastructure includes a deep-water jetty, which allows larger fishing vessels to dock and unload their catch. This has increased the harbour's capacity to handle a higher volume of fish and seafood.

The harbour's transformation is also expected to create new economic opportunities for the local community. The harbour's proximity to the Indian Ocean and its strategic location make it an ideal spot for fishing and seafood processing.

The Oluvil Harbour in Sri Lanka has been in the news for its significant developments. It was vested in the public by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2008. The harbour comprises 330 meters of quay with a water depth of 8 meters and 200 meters of quay with a water depth of 3 meters.

The harbour's breakwater is 1475 meters long, and it has a new jetty of 260 meters for the Fishing Port and 390 meters for the Commercial Port. The Fishing Harbor can provide services for 500 boats at one time and can handle vessels with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons.

The harbour's development work commenced on July 1, 2008, and was completed at a cost of 7,000 million rupees. The financial assistance for the project was granted by the government of Denmark, which is an interest-free loan scheduled to be paid back within 10 years.

The income from the two commercial harbors will be utilized to pay back the loan. President Rajapaksa has given instructions to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority to transform Sri Lanka into a potential maritime and logistics hub in the South Asian region.

The Oluvil Harbour has been under development since July 1, 2008, with a total cost of 7,000 million rupees. The project received financial assistance from the government of Denmark, which is an interest-free loan scheduled to be paid back within 10 years.

The harbour's commercial port comprises 330 meters of quay with a water depth of 8 meters, while the fishing port has 200 meters of quay with a water depth of 3 meters. The breakwater of the two harbors is 1475 meters long.

The harbour will provide services for 500 boats at one time and can handle vessels with a capacity of 50,000 metric tons. It will also have ice plants, cold room facilities, storage facilities for fishing equipment, and more.

The harbour's development work was completed with the intention of transforming Sri Lanka into a potential maritime and logistics hub in the South Asian region. The harbour's shore facilities will cater to general cargo vessels and coastal passenger transport, with provision for expansion in the future.

The Oluvil Port is set to open on September 1st. President Mahinda Rajapaksa will be vesting the public with the new port development project.

The construction of the Oluvil Commercial Harbour and the Fishing Harbour was commenced in 2008 under the Neganahira Navodaya programme. The Danish construction company MT HØjgaard completed the construction in two phases.

During the first phase, two breakwaters were constructed. The second phase involved dredging to enable the port to handle vessels of up to 16,000 tons. The commercial port comprises 330 meters of quay with a water depth of 8 meters.

The fishing port comprises 200 meters of quay with a water depth of 3 meters. The 1,500 meter breakwater has been constructed from one million tons of stone.

The Danish company constructed everything needed for the port to operate, including access roads, residential buildings, warehouses, office facilities, refrigerated warehouses, and service buildings on land. They also established a 4.2 kilometer sea wall around the harbor.

The Oluvil Harbour in Sri Lanka has been undergoing significant changes to transform it into a leading fisheries harbour. The harbour is being vested with the Fisheries Ministry, which will enable it to accommodate a large number of fishermen in the North and the East.

The new harbour will be able to accommodate 176 multi-day fishing boats, 322 boats fitted with outboard engines, and 72 one-day fishing vessels. This will provide a significant boost to the fishing industry in the region.

The harbour will also feature anchoring facilities and other infrastructure, including a fish processing unit, freezing facilities, and storage complex. These facilities will enable fishermen to process and store their catch more efficiently.

The Oluvil Harbour has been under the purview of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for years, but it has failed to achieve its set objectives. The government has decided to hand over the harbour to the Fisheries Ministry to make the most of its potential.

The Fisheries Minister, Douglas Devananda, has appointed a special committee to submit a report on the economic benefits of the harbour project and the nature of facilities to be made available at the harbour. The report is expected to be submitted within one week.

The government has also opened two new fisheries harbours, Wellamankara and Kalametiya, at a cost of Rs. 3,749 million. Additionally, the Australian Government has donated funds for installing modern vessel monitoring systems to nearly 5,200 multi-day fishing vessels.