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Lanka for talks to settle fishing issue but rules out bottom trawling
The Sri Lankan Government has expressed willingness to resolve the Indo-Lanka fishermen issue through bilateral talks with the Indian central government, but has ruled a proposal to permit bottom trawling in the Palk Strait, a Cabinet Minister said yesterday.
Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Times that a proposal from the Indian Government through its High Commission in Colombo is seeking 65 days of fishing in Lankan seas for three years.
However, the proposals so far from India was that bottom trawling, a fishing system which draws the fishing nets on the seabed causing extensive damage to marine life, should be permitted.
“If we accepted such agreement for three years there would be no sea resources left in our sea for the next twenty years. Therefore we have rejected that proposal considering our next generation,” Minister Amaraweera said.
He said both countries are still trying to reach a consensus on the longstanding issue, but until then the Government has ordered the Navy to arrest any Indian fishermen who engage in poaching and subject them to legal action.
“As an immediate neighbour, we don’t want to reject any of the proposals from India. We will continue to have talks understanding the issue of both fishing communities of the countries to reach an amicable solution,” Mr. Amaraweera said.
“We are hopeful we will be able to reach consensus at some point. Most of the trawlers are owned by the politicians of Tamil Nadu. I intend to visit Tamil Nadu in the near future,” he said.
Minister Amaraweera said that around 1,000 trawlers enter the Lankan seas at a time and engage in fishing using bottom trawling.
“Our National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) concluded in its research that from the catch of 22 kilograms of fish using trawling only one kilogram can be used for human consumption. Bottom trawling is like clearing the Sinharaja rain forest with a bulldozer. We can’t allow this happen to our marine resources,” he said.
A Spokesperson from the Indian High Commission in Colombo said that while India is encouraging its fishermen to take to deep sea fishing as a long term solution, it needs to find an interim solution that helps achieve a long term solution.
It is with this idea that both countries have been encouraging fishermen associations from both sides to sit together and discuss a way forward.
“During the last meeting of the fishermen’s associations held in Chennai on March 24, the Indian fishermen made certain proposals to the Sri Lankan side. We have now been informed that the Sri Lankan fishermen have not been able to accept these proposals. We will continue to encourage both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution,” the spokesperson said.
Apart from the Indian central government’s proposal to give access to fish for 65 days, there was a another proposal put forward by the Indian side urging the Sri Lankan Government to consider giving licenses to 400 trawlers for a three-year grace period.
As the 45 day-ban to use mechanised boats for fishing due to the breeding season came to an end by yesterday the Indian fishermen commenced fishing.