SEIZING INDIAN FISHING VESSELS AS A DETERRENT

Instead of arresting Indian fishermen found poaching in Sri Lankan waters, the Fisheries Ministry is now consulting the Attorney General to work out a mechanism whereby their vessels could be seized through a judicial process while releasing the offending fishermen, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said yesterday.

External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that thousands of fishermen cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fish in Sri Lankan territorial waters off the Northern shore line. He said the fishermen would be arrested and prosecuted as a deterrent because the earlier method was not stern enough.

Meanwhile, Dr. Senarartne said there were practical problems in arresting and detailing large numbers of fishermen to the custody of Sri Lankan authorities, and therefore a new approach would be adopted to address the problem.

“We are now consulting the Attor- ney General to work out a new mechanism. We hope to confiscate vessels and other fishing equipment, without prosecuting individual fishermen because it will otherwise be an expensive affair for the government to detain large numbers of Indian fishermen,” he said and added that Sri Lankan fishermen arrested by the authorities in Tamil Nadu were not prosecuted.

At present more than 100 Indian fishermen are in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities.

We hope to confiscate vessels and other fishing equipment, without prosecuting individual fishermen because it will otherwise be an expensive affair for the government to detain large numbers of Indian fishermen