Subscribe to our WhatsApp Channel
A photo post circulated on social media presenting a ceremony at the Beruwala Fisheries Harbour as the current NPP government launching Sri Lanka’s first ever locally manufactured multi-day fishing vessel. The claim resonated quickly in a political environment where supporters and critics are closely tracking government achievements. We investigated what actually took place at Beruwala.
Social Media Posts :
The post claimed the current government was marking a historic milestone for Sri Lanka’s fishing industry:
Fact-Check :
Our investigation found that mainstream media reports from 12 June 2026 covered the event at Beruwala, but none reported that a locally built multi-day fishing vessel was manufactured and launched there for the first time. What was opened was Sri Lanka’s first dedicated Boat Launching Ramp at Beruwala Fisheries Harbour.
Therefore, the accurate news behind this post is that Sri Lanka’s first specialized Boat Launching Ramp was commissioned at Beruwala. The Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Fishing Resources, Mr. Rathna Gamage, also posted about this on his official Facebook page as follows:
Boat launching ramps already exist individually across Sri Lanka’s various fishing harbours. What was opened at Beruwala is the country’s first centralized, purpose-built Boat Launching and Testing Centre, with modern infrastructure designed specifically to support boat manufacturers and private vessel owners in the marine and boat manufacturing industry.
Sri Lanka’s First Officially Certified Multi-Day Fishing Vessel Was Manufactured in the Early 1980s
The history of locally manufactured multi-day fishing vessels in Sri Lanka dates to the early 1980s. The first fleet of officially certified multi-day fishing vessels was produced through a collaboration between Sri Lankan Naval Architects, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), and pioneering enterprises including Neil Marine and the Cey-Nor Foundation.
In the early 1980s, then Sri Lanka Ministry of Fisheries requested the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP) to design and introduce two specialized boat models – the SRL-15 and SRL-34, for multi-day fishing operations. This took place under the government of President J.R. Jayewardene and was led by the then Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
The NMDF-40, designed by British naval architect David Freeman, became the first and most commercially successful multi-day fishing vessel manufactured domestically. Built using fiberglass (FRP) technology, it had an operational range of 300 nautical miles and could remain at sea for three weeks. Full details are available here and here.
The Cey-Nor Foundation also manufactured and exported a vessel named ‘Sasimi’ to Somalia. This was Sri Lanka’s first multi-day vessel with a dual-propulsion system, powered by both fuel and sails.
More recently, the Cey-Nor Foundation has introduced technologically advanced multi-day vessels to the domestic market, equipped with onboard freezer facilities capable of cooling to -20°C to preserve catch quality and reduce post-harvest losses.
Also Read: Has the Ceylon Shipping Corporation truly not owned a single ship since 1985?
Join us to learn more about our fact-check investigations.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google News | TikTok | YouTube
Conclusion :
Our investigation confirms that the social media posts are misleading. What took place at Beruwala was the opening of Sri Lanka’s first dedicated Boat Launching Ramp, not the manufacture or launch of the country’s first multi-day fishing vessel. The post presented a genuine government achievement but attached a false historical claim to it.
Sri Lanka’s first multi-day fishing vessels were manufactured in the early 1980s under the J.R. Jayewardene government, through the Bay of Bengal Programme with FAO support. The NMDF-40, produced by Neil Marine and the Cey-Nor Foundation, was the country’s first commercially successful locally built multi-day vessel. The current government’s Beruwala facility is a meaningful infrastructure investment, but it is not the first-ever vessel production.
Title: No, the Current Government Did Not Manufacture Sri Lanka’s First Multi-Day Fishing Vessel; That Happened in the 1980s
Fact Check By: Pavithra Sandamali
Result: Misleading
