The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, commissioned five community-managed lagoon restocking hatcheries across Batticaloa today, September 25, 2026.

Supported through international recovery assistance, the initiative deploys solar-powered water oxygenation units, disease-resistant juvenile mud crab nurseries, and native brackish-water fingerling enclosures at Paalameenmadu and Paddiruppu. Marine fisheries officers stated that the climate-adaptive breeding program will directly replenish depleted lagoon stocks, shield local artisanal fishing cooperatives against dry-season salinity surges, and secure long-term household incomes for over 3,500 coastal families.