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President nets in fishermen, assures solution to problems
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has assured fishermen that he would look into their problems including fears of a European Union (EU) ban on fish impots affecting them, and foreign vessels operating under the Sri Lanka flag, violating EU fishing regulations.
The assurances were given at a meeting with fishermen’s federations and fisheries organisations islandwide and ministry officials, held at Temple Trees on Thursday.
Fishermen in Matara hold a protest. Pix by Krishan Jeewaka Jayaruk
The President instructed Justice Ministry and External Affairs Ministry officials to work together to get the ban on Sri Lankan fishing products to the EU market, lifted.
President Rajapaksa recommended the Fisheries Ministry to reduce the registration fee for deep sea fishing from Rs 15,000 to Rs 5,000.
Fishermen’s federations representing the Southern Province, insisted that they should be allowed to sell their fish in the Negombo market.
Deputy Fisheries Minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne raised concerns about local fishermen using illegal fishing methods and thereby causing a serious threat to the marine resources.
“Large quantities of ‘Linna’ fish brought to the Negombo fish market from other areas, are sold only for making dry fish, thereby, the area fishermen cannot sell their products,” he said.
Jaffna District Rural Fisheries Federation President, Nagathamby Ponnambalam raised the issue at the meeting that there are no fisheries harbours in the Jaffna district. The Government has made plans to construct two harbours, one each in Gurunagar and Point Pedro, but have not initiated the projects to date, he said.
After two batches of arrested Indian fishermen were released on a directive of President Rajapaksa, the fishing community leaders alleged that there was continued intrusion of Indian fishermen into Sri Lanka’s waters, which the authorities had failed to stop, the fishermen claimed.
Mannar District Fishermen’s Federation President, Albert Justin Soysa said that, even though the intrusion of Indian fishermen has been reduced significantly, they w ere still entering the seas off Pesalai through the Mannar sea.
“They come in small boats called “Vattha” and damage our nets and other instruments we plant in the sea for our fishing,” he said.
Mr Justin said that President Rajapaksa had ordered the Navy, who were present at the meeting, to arrest any fishermen who cross into Sri Lankan waters.
“The President instructed that they be arrested in order to safeguard the livelihoods of the fishermen in the Northern and Eastern provinces,” he said.
Mr Ponnambalam added that Indian fishermen were still present near Delft island, and urged the Navy to ensure that Lankan waters are only for Lankan fishermen.
“They have been very vigilant about the intrusion of the Indian fishermen, but recently, it seems they have dropped their alert, or the Indian fishermen are sneaking in and out without getting caught,” he said.
On Monday, 24 Indian fishermen arrested and detained in Jaffna prison for poaching, had called off their hunger strike, following assurances from Indian High Commission officials they would take up the matter with the Sri Lanka authorities, and have them released next week.
They were arrested by the Navy on September 28 wile fishing near Katchatheevu.
Meanwhile, Navy Spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said they have shifted the Indian fishermen’s trawlers and boats anchored in Thalaimannar harbour to Karainagar, due to the prevailing inclement weather which may damage the boats.
Commander Warnakulasuriya rejected the fishermen’s federations allegations of the Navy lowering its alert, saying the usual Navy patrols are deployed along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), so that, should anyone enter Sri Lankan waters, they definitely would be arrested.