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Northern fishermen call for stronger action against Indian poachers
View(s):A petition forwarded by northern fishermen to the Attorney General’s Department by representatives of fishermen in the North has called for stronger legal action against illegal fishing by south Indian fishermen. Mannar District Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Union (FCSU) President Noor Mohamed Mohamed Aalam and the Jaffna District FCSU President Anthony Emiliyanpillai recently forwarded a petition to the Attorney General’s Department requesting the Attorney General to consider expediting legal proceedings against south Indian fishermen and vessel owners for illegally fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Mr. Aalam said the present practice of arresting Indian fishermen, keeping them in prison for some time and releasing them had not proved to be a deterrent.
“Arrested south Indian fishermen are charged under Section 45 of the Immigration and Emigration Act and remanded. After some time they are released without charge, on the instructions of the Attorney General. What we are asking is to take stronger action to stop them from trespassing,” he said.
The northern fishermen in their petition state that the application by the Sri Lankan authorities of laws specifically designed to deter illegal fishing by foreign fishing vessels, is a crucial step towards reaching ‘a lasting solution’ to the problem of bottom trawling by south Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay and the Bay of Bengal,
Meanwhile, the Fisheries Ministry said yesterday that 24 Sri Lankan fishermen were arrested by the Bangladesh coastguard for poaching. A ministry spokesperson said: “We are in touch with the Bangladesh authorities through our High Commissioner to get them released soon.”