Sri Lanka says it will address European concerns about fishing industry to avoid import ban

Sri Lanka says it will address European concerns about its fishing industry to avert a possible import ban.

The European Commission proposed the ban on Tuesday, saying Sri Lanka has not sufficiently addressed shortcomings in its fisheries control system.

The commission said Sri Lanka failed to comply with international and regional fisheries rules, and sanctions for violations were not clearly stipulated.

The ban would take effect in January 2015, three months after the decision is published in the commission's official journal.

Fisheries Ministry spokesman Narendra Rajapaksa said Wednesday it is confident of being able to avoid the ban.