Rs. 300 m bonanza Poaching crisis: Lanka will complain to EU
The Government will take up with the European Union the issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, if India fails to agree to an early solution to the issue, Deputy Fisheries Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne said yesterday.
He told the Sunday Times substantial evidence to show that
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will take up the issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid when he visits Jaffna on Tuesday.
A TNA spokesman said the issue would be taken when the Northern Province Chief Minister- elect C.V. Wignes- poaching by Tamil Nadu fishermen was affecting the marine life of Sri Lankan territorial waters waran meets Mr. Khurshid. Hitherto, the TNA has not raised the issue with India though it has had a major impact on the fishermen in the north. would be presented to Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid during his visit here.
The Indian Minister is scheduled to arrive here tomorrow morning and will be meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Pieris and others.
The poaching crisis in the Palk Strait would be one of the main issues to be taken up during talks with Mr. Khurshid.
External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatilleke Amunuga- ma told the Sunday Times the Indian Minister would be shown evidence of the extensive poaching done by thousands of Indian boats mainly off the northern coast.
“This evidence has been known to both countries for some time. There is little new but the matter will be taken up for discussion once again,”
Mr. Amunugama said.He said Sri Lanka at the talks with Mr. Khurshid would seek at least a reduction in the number of poaching boat as a prelude to a total restriction.
Last week the European Union delegation office in Colombo said it was aware that Indian fishermen were engaged in Illegal-Unregulated-Unreported (IUU) fishing practices, but the delegation had not been formally informed by relevant authorities that the catch was processed in EU-approved factories in Tamil Nadu.More than 700 Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Navy while allegedly poaching in Sri Lanka’s seas since the start of this year, a naval official said yesterday.
Regional politicians in India’s Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have repeatedly accused the Sri Lankan Navy of harassing Indian fishermen and making illegal arrests. They have urged the Indian Government to take up the matter with Sri Lanka in the strongest terms.The Sri Lanka Navy has vehemently denied the charges.