COLOMBO (News 1st) – As many Sri Lankans have cut down on their meals, the demand for staples has also seen a drop.Usually, more than 200 to 300 Sri Lankan fishing boats set out to sea, however after the economic crisis hit, coupled with an acute shortage of fuel most of the Sri Lankan fishermen have been forced to tie up their boats to the piers, hoping for better days."The demand for fish had slumped.
The main reason for this is the high cost of fuel and the rising cost of living. A liter of fuel that cost only Rs. 70/- before is now almost Rs.
400/-. The catch has dropped, but the price does not increase because the demand is low," said one local fisherman from Negombo."Due to a high price for fish in the recent past many multi-day fishing boats set out to sea.
However, the demand is dropping and the price of fish has also dropped. But, the cost to set out to sea is over Rs. 100,000/- per multi-day fishing boat.