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Wider net to catch illegal fishermen
The Attorney General is to summon the DIGs of the North and East to issue fresh guidelines to them on the proper procedure to be carried out when arresting foreign fishing vessels encroaching on Sri Lankan territorial waters and prosecute owners and the main persons on board.

Attorney General K.N. Kamalasabayson told The Sunday Times that in the past, fishermen encroaching on Sri Lankan territorial waters could not be prosecuted as proper procedures were not followed and it resulted in a lack of evidence. He said that in the past, fishermen encroaching on Lankan waters had to be discharged due to the lack of evidence as they were seized by fishermen and not the Navy. In addition, the fishermen also failed to gather any substantial evidence.

Mr. Kamalasabayson said he would summon the Deputy Inspectors General of the North and East and instruct them with regard to the nature of investigations to be carried out. Among the instructions he will be giving them are how to identify territorial waters, and that entries by the Navy in such incidents must be simultaneous to the arrests and document details such as the nautical mile positions of the trawlers when arrested.

He said he had taken the decision to prosecute the owners of fishing trawlers and the captains of fishing fleets encroaching on Sri Lankan territorial waters in view of the fact that Sri Lanka's marine resources were being affected and depleted by foreign elements.

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