Anthony Steen launches ‘Fish and Ships,' a UK initiative to help rebuild the decimated Sri Lankan fishing fleet . The press launch and lunch is to be hosted by the West Country MP with specially transported Sri Lankan fish (courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines) transformed into Sri Lankan specialities by the House of Commons Catering Department. The Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, and the Minister for Fisheries, Ben Bradshaw MP, will attend the launch, together with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner. The Prime Minister gave his personal imprimatur to the initiative on the Floor of the Commons on Monday.

Anthony Steen said: “The aim is to encourage an entrepreneurial alternative to established aid for Sri Lanka , the second worst hit area from the tsunami with over 30,000 dead in the disaster and thousands more missing. Decimated coastal Sri Lankan areas are to be encouraged to rebuild their local fishing industries with the help of UK MPs with coastal constituencies raising funds to replace the lost boats with locally built ones. The boats are to be named after particular constituencies.”

South West Fishing Producers (SWFPO ltd) have pledged to organise a special auction of boxes of fish donated by local vessel owners in Brixham, the largest fishing port in England and Wales . SWFPO's lead is to be followed by fellow fisherman in Northern Ireland (Kilkell, Ardglass and Portavogie), Fleetwood, Lancashire and Lowestoft, Suffolk as well as other fishing towns. The money raised will provide employment for Sri Lankans in the building of replacement fishing boats on site in Sri Lanka , and will start to rebuild not just the fishing industry, which is the second largest employer in Sri Lanka , but also the shattered fishing communities. Currently international aid is providing food, water, shelter, clothing and some medicine, but the long-term rebuilding of the economy must also be addressed so that the aid is self-sustaining.

It is estimated that at least 50% of the 29,694 Sri Lankan fishing vessels were destroyed or lost in the tsunami. Locally built, fully equipped, traditional catamarans would cost no more than £3500 each. A single deck trawler £18,000 locally built, and an offshore fishing trawler £29,000, both fully equipped.

Geoffrey Dobbs, a well known ex pat living in the South of Sri Lanka, and a relative of Michael Dobbs of ‘House of Cards' fame, has set up a charity Adoptsrilanka.com to rebuild the Sri Lankan fishing fleet. His type of “NewAid” initiative, featured this week in the Evening Standard and Sunday Times, is being championed as the way forward to get immediate help to devastated communities. He is flying over for the day specially for the launch.

For further information, please contact Anthony Steen MP on 0207 219 5045