COLOMBO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka launched its national fishing vessel census on Monday, after a lapse of 10 years, a minister said.

Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar said the census, which will run nationwide until August 20, aims to create an up-to-date database covering approximately 50,000 fishing boats operating along the country's coast.

The minister said that the census seeks to identify active fishing vessels, remove inactive or unseaworthy boats to support the "Clean Sri Lanka" initiative, promote the tourism industry, and streamline the licensing system for fishing operations.

During the census period, officials from the department will visit every fishing harbor, inspect each vessel, and affix a special sticker as part of the registration process, he said.

The minister said starting next year, they will issue all fishing operation licenses and provide related services based on the updated census data, adding that boats not registered in the census will not be eligible to renew their operating licenses.

According to the Export Development Board, the fisheries sector provides direct and indirect employment to about 2.4 million people, and according to central bank data, export earnings from seafood (primarily fresh fish) were 301.7 million U.S. dollars in 2023. ■