Crisis on Northern maritime border: Navy says COVID hit Indian fisherfolk smuggling drugs
Northern fisherfolk accuse Navy patrols of turning blind eye to illegal bottom trawling by Indians
As Southern India is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent days, Northern fishermen alleged the Navy has turned blind eye to the Indian fishermen who trespassed into Sri Lankan territorial waters to engage in bottom trawling - a fishing method prohibited in Sri Lanka.
Northern fishermen alleged the Indian fishermen who were prohibited to engage in fishing by the Tamil Nadu State Government due to the annual breeding season from April 14 onwards started to venture into the Northern sea, even closer to Kayts in recent weeks to engage in fishing.
Kayts Fisheries Cooperat ives Federation Leader Annalingam Annarasa, told the Sunday Times 75-100 Indian trawlers entered into Sri Lankan territorial waters in the Northern sea three days a week to engage in fishing while the Navy was on patrol.
“Our fishermen are experiencing hardships in their livelihood due to Indian poaching on the one hand and the COVID- 19 pandemic situation on the other, ” Mr Annarasa said.
He said that despite complaining to the fisheries authorities in recent past, no action had been taken to ensure their livelihood options were protected.
No Indian fishermen had been arrested since the COVID-19 pandemic cases started to rise early this year.
Earlier Indian fishermen, through the Tamil Nadu State government, requested the Indian Central government to lift the breeding seasonal ban early as May 23 considering the COVID-19 lockdown in the Southern Indian state and livelihood difficulties.
Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda told the Sunday Times that the matter was taken up at the Cabinet recently and with the Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka to resolve the issue based on a proposal he submitted to the Indian government earlier but the coronavirus pandemic caused delay in bilateral discussions.
“It is understandable that the Navy is also concerned about arresting Indian fishermen who are fishing in our waters considering the recent surge of COVID19 among Navy personnel. Rather than arresting them, they can be forced to leave the international maritime boundary line,” Minister Devananda said.
A joint initiative of Palk Strait - Mannar Gulf Joint Fisheries Committee with the participation of the two countries' representatives was proposed by the Fisheries Minister to resolve fishing disputes between the fisherfolk communities of the two countries.
Minister Devananda who accompanied Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to New Delhi early this year said the mechanism was welcomed by Indian officials and the two parties were engaged in discussions, but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
Minister Devananda expressed hopes that if the joint mechanism he proposed was implemented properly, an amicable solution could be reached between the fisherfolk communities of the two countries in a win-win situation.
Countering allegations leveled by the Northern fishermen, the Navy said it had adopted a ‘soft approach’ in dealing with Indian fishermen while stressing that this dispute between the fisherfolk communities should be resolved at Government level using diplomatic ties.
N av y Spokesman Isuru Sooriyabandara told the Sunday Times the Navy was adequately armed with the necessary health gear and additional precautionary measures in place to arrest Indian fishermen who violated the country’s sovereign borders.
“If the Navy patrolling units want to arrest them, we could do so.”
Lt Commander Sooriyabandara said, claiming that some of the local fishermen who mingled with Indian fishermen on the border lines were engaged in illegal transactions of narcotics and illegal gold at the sea borders.
“There has been limited assistance from Northern fishermen when the Navy is tackling illegal activities in the Northern sea. We request them to assist us,” Lt Commander Sooriyabandara said, while noting a fresh Navy operation was carried out at sea yesterday and a haul of narcotics seized.
This year alone, the Navy seized 2.327 kilos of Kerala ganja and other drug substances in the Northern sea. Security authorities in the North said local gold slabs were being melted and transported as exchange for drug substances on the country's borders.