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Indian fishermen’s illegal bottom trawling should stop, Lanka insists again during virtual talks
As virtual talks between Sri Lanka and India held this week to resolve the fisheries issues, Sri Lanka's northern fishermen protested demanding speedy action by the Government against illegal bottom trawling by Indian fishermen. Below: An Indian boat poaching in Sri Lankan waters
Sri Lanka reiterated its position that the issue of illegal bottom trawling by Indian fishermen in Lankan territorial waters should be resolved urgently, when the two sides came together this week for a virtual meeting of the fourth Sri Lanka-India Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries.
“The Sri Lanka delegation underlined the need to address the matter of environmentally harmful, unsustainable and illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen, which resulted in loss of livelihood and damage to fishing equipment of local fishermen,” said a joint communique released after Wednesday’s virtual talks.
The Indian side explained legal action taken against such practices and the initiatives to encourage South Indian fishermen to engage in deep sea fishing and alternative livelihood, according to the statement.
The Sri Lankan delegation, led by Fisheries Ministry Secretary R. M. I. Rathnayake consisted of senior officials from the Fisheries Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Attorney General’s Department, the Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, the Sri Lanka Navy and Coast Guard.
The Indian delegation was led by the Indian Fisheries Ministry Secretary Rajeev Ranjan. Also in the delegation were officials from the Ministries of Fisheries, External Affairs, Home Affairs, the Tamil Nadu State Government, the Puducherry State Government, the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.
The Sri Lankan delegation conveyed the need to enhance the joint patrolling and operationalisation of the hotline between the law enforcement authorities of the two countries to ensure effective results.
The Indian delegation called on Sri Lanka to ensure the early release of recently arrested Indian fishermen. The Sri Lanka authorities assured to facilitate the release of arrested fishermen early, once the legal procedures were completed. They told the Indian delegation that the arrested fishermen were being provided with necessary facilities, including consular access.
The discussion also saw focus being shed on Sri Lanka’s request for a safe passage for Sri Lankan fishermen to enter the Arabian Sea. “Both sides expressed the desirability to convene an early ministerial meeting to continue the bilateral dialogue.”
The first JWG meeting was held on December 31, 2016 in New Delhi, the Second in Colombo on April 7, 2017 and the third in New Delhi on October 13, 2017.
This week’s JWG meeting took place while Sri Lankan fisher associations accused Indian fishermen of carrying out the illegal bottom trawling in the Northern sea, even coming closer to the coastal area.
In Mullaitivu, fishermen alleged that Indian fishermen were seen close to the coast where the traditional fishermen engaged in fishing. They charged that Indian fishermen were making use of the security lax due to COVID fears from India to carry out illegal bottom trawling in the Northern sea and their boats could be seen from the coast during the daytime.
Mullaitivu Fisheries Federation Deputy Chairman K. Arulnathan said they would never agree to share Sri Lanka’s fishing resources with the Indian fishermen, as proposed by Tamil Nadu fishermen.
