Indian fishermen invading Lankan waters; no arrests

Minister says Navy will not take action to prevent poaching

Indian fishermen are continuing to gain unimpeded access to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters as the Navy is refraining from making any arrests of poaching fishermen, a top minister said yesterday.

“We have to admit that no action is being taken against the Indian fishermen involved in poaching now,” former fisheries minister and now Health Ministry and Government Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said.

Meanwhile Fisheries Minis- try Secretary Nimal Hettiarachchi said the Government had asked for a postponement of the talks scheduled to be held in Chennai on March 5 as the top priority now was to implement the 100-day programme.

A fresh date for talks would be set after discussions were held with Sri Lanka’s fishermen’s associations, he said.

Northern fisheries associations have lodged strong protests, saying Indian fishermen had intensified their poaching operations after the new Government took office.

The Sri Lanka Navy has stopped arresting poaching Indian fishermen, after the new Government released all Indian fishermen in custody along with 87 trawlers.

“The fishermen in the north are worried about the unhindered access given to Indian fishermen without any action being taken against them. We have called a meeting of fishermen’s association in four districts to discuss the issue,” Northern Provincial fisheries Minister Balasubramaniam Deniswaran said.

Nortehrn fishermen’s associations are planning to have a series of protests over the presence of the Indian fishermen in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

Justin Zoysa, President of the Mannar Fisheries Federation said the Indian fishermen could create a climate for talks by stopping poaching.

"Now they have started to invade our sea not only using illegal fishing methods but also destroying our equipment which our fishermen obtain through bank loans,” he said.

Mr. Zoysa said if the poaching continued the northern fishermen would capture the Indian fishermen in the sea and bring them to the shore.

The Rameswaram Port Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association President N. J. Bose told the Sunday Times the Indian fishermen had intensified poaching in Lankan waters soon after the new Government took office last month.

"We have initiated a campaign among our fisher folk community not to trespass into Lankan waters for fishing or destroy the Sri Lankan fishemen’s equipment. We have warned them if they do so, their fishing licences would be terminated," Mr. Bose said. He urged the Lankan fishermen to come for talks soon to work out a solution acceptable to both sides. "It is unfortunate that the talks are being delayed. Either side may have made some mistakes but with a healthy dialogue we can solve this issue," he said.

The issues regarding poaching by fishermen figured prominently during President Maithripala Sirisena’s talks on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Mr. Modi said he was willing to go ahead with proposals coming from the talks of the fishermen of the two countries.

“We are encouraging the fishermen’s associations on both sides to meet again soon. They should find a solution that could be taken forward by both governments,” Premier Modi said.

The issue will be further discussed when Mr. Modi visits Sri Lanka from March 13 to 15.