Indian fishermen’s poaching, bottomtrawling permanently destroying seabed environment: Experts

Marine experts say that bottom-trawling and poaching by Indian fishermen is ruining marine life off the northern coast of Sri Lanka, and warn that the region may soon be of no use.

Former National Aquatic Research Agency (NARA) Chairman Dr Hiran Jayawardena told the Sunday Times that Indian trawlers continue to come in looking for resources such as prawns, and are disturbing the eco system.

Marine Biologist Nishan Perera warns that Sri Lanka may suffer irreparable losses and the fisheries could collapse if bottom-trawling continues. Excerpts of the Sunday Times interview with Dr Jayawardena:

We are now seeing the effect of the long term damage with 100 boats coming daily. Basically, you are destroying the seabed environment by bottomtrawling. The Benthic eco system does not settle. It is like ploughing a paddy field daily.

The predations by Indian trawlers continue unabated, and there is a move towards acceptance, when all other countries have phased out and re-negotiated foreign fishing. Resources such as prawn catches taken from our waters have a high value. Otherwise, these large numbers of vessels will not be coming regularly.

The ‘ Waste fish’ percentage is high through this system. Some part of the harvest goes unused., which is another part of the damage.

The Palk Bay is a semi- enclosed shallow sea area with limited circulation. There is some perceived water exchange between the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Mannar, essentially through the strait area. The dwindling Dugong, other marine mammals and all marine species are presently taken without discrimination.

The sea Cucumber harvesting banned in India is sold back through Sri Lanka for export.

We should be able to take up the issue. It is like the EU purchasing stolen goods. They should trace the source. It is like a big country robbing a small country. They should be concerned about it.

Unlike the territorial sea, the EEZ and Continental Shelf areas, these areas are under the regime of historic waters, and like internal waters, are juristically akin to land. It is like being asked to tolerate forcible cultivation of our land area. Otherwise, there is no value in declaring this area ‘historical waters’ in our bilateral agreements .

On the other hand India should be given a deadline to stop – they should pay for the resources or pay for the fish.

If we cannot curb prawn trawling and regular sweeping of the bottom environment of the Palk Bay and Palk Strait, we should give it up as a wasteland . Excerpts of interview with Marine Biologist Nishan Perea

One thing is, it is leading to over-fishing – the biggest concern is bottom-trawling, which is damaging the habitat. Some of the hard bottom is found in the Pedro Bank and the Waj Bank off the Northern coast. Bottom-trawling is banned in Sri Lanka. Any country with a good fisheries policy has banned this system.

The biggest concern is the real habitat destruction. After you clean out the habitat, the chance of catching any fish in that area is lost.

‘ The use of bottom trawling is a major concern. This is the problem of the traditional rights claim. Some claim that the ancestors came, but did not bottom-trawl. Even to give concessions is a problem.

They are coming, because they have destroyed the fishing resources in their own country.

There are areas in the world where there has been heavy bottom-trawling and the fish stocks have collapsed. Even after they stop fishing in the area, fisheries can collapse in a manner they cannot recover. There is a point at which you can stop and give a period to recover.