Colombo, Sri Lanka - In a significant step towards bolstering Sri Lanka's maritime safety and security framework, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Australian Government, has donated two Single Side-Band (SSB) marine radios valued at USD 25,000 to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR), Sri Lanka. The radios are now operational, providing coverage in the Southern and North-Western coastal regions. The new communication equipment has enhanced Sri Lanka’s maritime communication and coordination capabilities to combat irregular migration, prevent Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, disseminate timely weather advisories, and improve search and rescue operations at sea.

The donation ceremony, held at the Galle Fishery Harbour in June, was attended by Ms. Lalita Kapur, Deputy High Commissioner from Australia to Sri Lanka, Dr. Simonette De Asis, Deputy Chief of Mission, IOM Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Inspector Paul Edwards, First Secretary, Australian Border Force. Mr. R Jayasinghe, Assistant Director DFAR, Galle accepted the equipment on behalf of the Department.

Deputy High Commissioner Kapur said that the Australian Government was pleased to support this initiative which would strengthen Sri Lanka’s maritime communication and coordination capabilities. “Improved coordination among both local and global partners is essential to ensure that maritime spaces are secure, safe, and sustainable.”

The Director General of the DFAR, Mr. Susantha Kahawata expressed his gratitude for the assistance provided to enhance communication with Sri Lanka’s fishing vessels. “The DFAR is thankful for the generous support of the Australian Government and the IOM in providing these SSB radios. This marine radio equipment has significantly improved shore-to-vessel communication capabilities of the department, which is an essential aspect of improving maritime safety and security."

The SSB radios were donated under the ongoing Sri Lanka Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Project (2021 – 2024) funded by the Australian Government, which aims to introduce a comprehensive VMS to better regulate the Sri Lanka’s Multi-Day Fishing Vessel (MFV) fleet of over 4000 vessels. By relaying real-time global position reports from fishing vessels via satellite to a 24x7 fisheries monitoring center, the VMS system augments Sri Lanka's maritime domain awareness. This technology supports compliance with global fisheries standards, improves maritime safety, and enables early detection of suspicious vessel activities.

Dr. Simonette De Asis, Deputy Chief of Mission – IOM Sri Lanka and the Maldives said that strategic partnerships between Australia, Sri Lanka, and IOM had been fundamental to the success of this complex project. “The Sri Lanka VMS project is a pioneering initiative for IOM globally that addresses the need to mitigate irregular migration via sea. IOM stands as a proud partner of both Sri Lanka and Australia in promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration and preventing the exploitation of vulnerable populations.”

For more information, contact:
Tharindu Jayawardhane, National Program Officer - tjayawardhane@iom.int