Monday, April 2, 2012

Sri Lankans are to be fed with more canned fish. Why not fresh fish?

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa will declare open the first semi government fish canning factory at Galle in the Southern Province tomorrow.

The factory is a joint venture of Sri Lanka Fisheries Corporation and Happy Cook Lanka Foods Private Limited.

The project saw an investment of Rs. 840 million.

The factory has the capacity of producing 10,000 fish cans a day. They will be sold under Sri Lanka Fisheries Corporation brand name.

Minister of Fisheries Rajitha Senarathna points out that Sri Lankans consume around 50,000 fish cans per day.

According to the Minister, the majority of the consumers of canned fish is the low income group people.

Is it essential for them to consume canned fish which less in nutritional value compared to fresh fish? Why don't they have access to fresh fish?

Why does the government need to start fish canning business? If it does not want profit and if it only wants people's nutrition increased, it can strengthen the fish retail network that the Fisheries Corporation already has.

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1 comments: on "Sri Lankans are to be fed with more canned fish. Why not fresh fish?"

sbarrkum said...

Fresh fish can be logistics nightmare specially when you have large catch.
Deep freezing fresh catch in vacuum sealed packs is great alternative. I mean fresh not not fish that has be kept iced for many days and then frozen. Ceynor used to do good job, but then sales outlets are only in Colombo.
I think frozen fish has got a bad rap because, fish thats been kept iced has been frozen and sold. I have cooked and eaten vacuum packed frozen Seer fish from (from Chile I think) and it was pink and fresher than the Seer I buy from the Negombo Lellama.
That said, till the frozen fish act is got together, then canned is a reasonable alternative. And please dont throw out the liquid in the can because it has "pili" bad smell. Just evaporate ("hindanna") the liquid to be thick (add some red pepper, onions, garlic what ever) and just adds so much flavor to the tinned fish.

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