A GUNNISLAKE company aims to help the beach fishing industry in Sri Lanka and India get back on course after the tsunami disaster, writes Ann Parsons. More than 40,000 small fishing vessels in the two countries were destroyed. Gunnislake firm Plastech has developed a revolutionary boat moulding process to make replacement four-and-a-half metre fishing boats. It is sending moulds and four sets of machinery initially to Sri Lanka to allow survivors to manufacture boats themselves. Technical manager Martin Brunt said the firm?s managing director, Alan Harper, came up with the idea. ?We have got the project going and become a focal point, but other companies have supplied the materials for production. We are supplying the machinery and know-how,? Martin said. He said boat production would initially be approximately 100 per month, but once the local inhabitants had developed the ability to produce their own moulds this could increase to 400 a month. ?They want boats to the traditional shape, which they can be with this process, and once they get into the swing of things they can dovetail the moulds to local designs,? said Martin. If the boats were made by hand as was traditional in the area, the number produced would be much smaller. ?With the introduction of mechanisation we can get production up. It is necessary to get some volume into things.? Backed by many international firms involved in the production of composite materials, the system should come on stream within two months. Martin is optimistic the machinery will be shipped at the end of this month or in early March. Plastech urgently needs two volunteers to assist in this project. Initially they would work in the Gunnislake manufacturing and technology centre with the opportunity to travel to Sri Lanka to assist with setting up and training. Anyone wishing to become part of the project should phone Alan, Roger or Martin at Plastech, on 01822 832621.