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Bottom trawling: Lanka rejects TN chief minster’s protest
Sri Lanka yesterday rejected opposition by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to the Government’s new regulations banning ‘bottom trawling’ in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the new laws were passed in Parliament for the benefit of Sri Lanka’s fisheries industry.
“We have to look after our interests and we cannot be too concerned about fishermen of other countries,” he said.He was responding to reports that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Plananiswami had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling on India to take steps to exempt the Palk Bay from the latest fishing laws passed by Sri Lanka’s parliament.
“It would be fitting for the Government of India to register its strongest disapproval of such a move and (it) must organise an effective defence of the rights of our (indian) fishermen in the Palk Bay,” the Chief Minister said. Mr Amaraweera said the laws passed would be enforced soon.
Tamil National Allliance parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said that since a law had passed no one would be able to indulge in bottom trawling or other illegal fishing methods in Sri Lanka’s waters.