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Talks fail: Navy will arrest poaching Indians
View(s):The Sri Lanka Navy warned yesterday that it would continue to detain Indian fishermen intruding into the country’s territorial waters after high level-talks between the two sides failed to resolve the issue of poaching. Navy Commander Jayanatha Colombage said that even after the recent talks, Indian fishermen continue to poach in the seas off Pesalai, Delft and Talaimannar.
“We have so far arrested 38 Indian fishermen after the talks were held and detained six boats,” the Commander said.The arrests came after all previously held Indian fishermen were released late last month while India reciprocated by releasing more than 150 Sri Lankan fishermen. The swap came after Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne met his Indian counterpart Sharard Pawar.
The Navy Commander said Sri Lanka’s emphasis was to prevent the Indian fishermen from using ‘Bottom Trawling’ a banned fishing method as it caused extensive damage to marine life. He said Sri Lanka hoped to take up the outcome of the Ministerial level meeting and the decisions reached by fishermen’s representatives of the two countries earlier this week before the Joint Working Group of the countries. The next meeting is due to be hosted by India.
Minister Senaratne said Tamil Nadu fishermen and Sri Lankan fishermen backed by fisheries officials would meet for another round of talks on March 10.
Among the decisions taken by the two sides last Monday and due to be further discussed is a ban on prohibited fishing methods.However, an Indian proposal to allow 70 days of fishing annually for its fishermen in Sri Lankan territorial waters and to refrain from arresting Indian fishermen for a 14 day period was turned down by Sri Lanka, Dr. Senaratne said.