(SEE DETAILED STORY ON PAGE 10) Poaching goes on; more arrests, but no date for talks

The Indian Government is yet to agree on a date for talks on the simmering fishermen’s crisis in the Palk Bay despite several requests from Colombo, it was revealed yesterday.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Rajitha Senaratne wrote to his Indian counterpart a week ago seeking a meeting at the very earliest but there has been a zero response so far, a spokesperson for the minister’s office told the Sunday Times.

He said the Minister had planned to meet India’s Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar who also covers fisheries but there had been a delay apparently owing to protocol requirements.

“The minister will be meeting representatives only from the central government in New Delhi and not elsewhere although the issue concerns mainly Tamil Nadu,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile more Indian fishermen were arrested by the Navy during this week for alleged poaching in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

On Tuesday 26 Indian fishermen along with five boats were arrested by the Navy off the coast of Mannar after they were found to be en- gaged in illegal fishing.

This brings the number of Indian fishermen arrested during the past three months to 283, with 86 Indian fishing craft also seized..

Meanwhile, 181 Sri Lankan fishermen are being detained in Tamil Nadu along with 39 fishing craft after they were arrested for alleged poaching in India’s territorial waters.

In the latest development, a court in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu has further remanded till January 10 a group of 59 Sri Lankan fishermen who were detained between September and November last year.