A special meeting between sea cucumber farmers in the Jaffna District and the Hon. Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, R. Chandrasekhar, and the Hon. Governor of the Northern Province, N. Vethanayahan, was held today – on Friday 03 April 2026, at the Governor’s Secretariat.
During the discussion, the farmers elaborated on the difficulties they are facing in paying the recently increased lease fees for sea cucumber farms. They pointed out that the decline in international market prices of sea cucumbers had not been taken into account when determining these lease fees. They further requested that the fees be recalculated using a general formula based on current market prices and called for appropriate measures to reduce the increased lease charges.
In response, the Hon. Minister and the Hon. Governor explained the official methodology used to determine the current fees. They also assured that, taking into consideration the concerns raised by the sea cucumber farmers, discussions would soon be held with relevant authorities to review the valuation process.
Also present at the discussion were S. Kapilan, Coordinator to the Chairman of the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee, along with several sea cucumber farmers from the Jaffna District.
