| Fishermen in Talawila area staged a protest against big time fishing mudalalis using banned equipment like nylon nets, dynamiting of fish and other such banned activities, despite an Act of Parliament passed in 1987 banning them.
Though this Act was reactivated in 1995 it is not being fully observed presently.
As a result there was a rift between ordinary fishermen and those carrying out banned activities to catch fish. Protesting fishermen went on the rampage setting tyres ablaze in the Daluwa Talawila region, requesting the Government to intervene in the matter.
Nimal Shantha, an ordinary fisherman said, “The sea is a resource to us fisherfolk but there are those who fish ignoring Government instructions and using dynamite which is taboo. Using dynamite is harmful since it kills both the small fish and the big ones, whereas our nets catch only small fish and do no harm to the environment or the ocean.”
He lamented that unlawful means used by some big time fishermen had yet to be curtailed.
Speaking out on the same issue Dhammika Surangi said the use of these banned items is not doing justice to small time fishermen in the area. They have to compete with the big timers but at the end the result is that they cannot make ends meet.
She insists that the President intervenes in this issue before the election or else he should not expect their vote. |
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