Actions are currently being undertaken to establish a fully-fledged web based information network on inland fisheries and aquaculture in NAQDA with the help of ADB funded Aquatic Resources Development and Quality Improvement Project (ARDQIP) . The system, named as the National inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Information System (NIFAIS) will be located in the head office of NAQDA. The core of the system will consist of a statistical data collection system on inland fisheries and aquaculture in Sri Lanka, which is operated through a mechanism that involve collection of field level data by the extension staff of NAQDA and transferring them into a central database. Statistical data collected in the system will include national production data of inland fisheries and aquaculture, information on crafts, fishermen, and fishing gear etc., profile of aquatic resources available in the country and other relevant socio-economic and technical information.

Development of the system will include three major steps. They are:

(1) Installation of hardware and networking facilities

(2) Development of necessary software for a central database with full internet and web facilities

(3) Establishment of a scientific system for field level data collection

Actions pertaining to first and second steps have already ended and preliminary actions for the step three also have been taken. Accordingly Mr. Martin Vandaskaap (Consultant Fisheries Statistics) has commenced his work from August 2005 and Mr. Ranjith Fonseka (Consultant Information Systems) has ended the development of the Software system and commenced installation on Regional Aquaculture Extension Centers(RAEOs) and Aquaculture Development Centers(AQDCs).

As a measure to train the field officers of NAQDA, who would contribute to the system by providing data, a three-day residential workshop (2 nd August to 4 th August 2005) was held in Colombo at the Distance Learning Center at SLIDA premises. The aim of the workshop was to familiarize the NAQDA officers to the system and to obtain suggestions for further improvements.

Once fully established, the system will fill the wide information gap presently experienced by many who are involved with development related activities in the sector. It will cater not only to information needs of NAQDA officers but also of other stakeholders from different organizations including the private sector. It will consist of advanced features such as spatial data (GIS) and data downloading facilities through the web. In the later stages of development, it is expected to link with other local and international partner organizations also, to share the information for mutual benefit.