Northern fishermen plan boat trip to India to protest illegal trawling
A section of Tamil politicians are quite busy these days planning to write a letter to Indian Premier Narendra Modi on pressing issues here.
A group of Northern fisherfolk who are affected by ongoing Indian illegal bottom trawling (IUU) launched a crowdsourcing campaign this week collecting funds to organise a boat trip to Tamil Nadu to take up the issue.
At Munai in Point Pedro, a fishermen’s union began the campaign with tills urging the public to donate money so they can cover fuel and other costs of the trip since the
Government and the traditional Northern politicians have failed to take up their issue and prevent Indian fishermen from engaging in trawling in Northern waters.
The initiative came with the blessings of Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda who told fishermen groups last week that the government had no plans to introduce a permit system to allow Indian fishermen to engage in fishing.
When the fishermen approached a veteran fisherman with their cause, the elderly man asked whether they could travel to India by the newly opened ferry service from Kankesanthurai to Nagapattinam- launched last week. The fishermen responded saying it is ‘very’ expensive for them, therefore, they are collecting funds to organise their own trip. After hearing them, the veteran fisherman put a ten rupee coin into the till as his contribution.
Meanwhile, across the Palk Strait, Indian fishermen groups in Rameswaram staged a protest this week against the arrest of 27 of their fishermen and the seizing of five trawlers last Saturday by the Sri Lankan Navy.