News
Stop now: Northern fishermen reiterate demands to Tamil Nadu fishermen
View(s):- Fishermen from both sides of the Straits meet after nine years
By S. Rubatheesan
Northern fishermen reiterated once again this week to visiting Tamil Nadu fishermen leaders that they will not tolerate Indian mechanised bottom trawling under any circumstances, and they will have to stop venturing into the country’s territorial waters.
A five-member delegation of Tamil Nadu fishermen from Ramanathapuram and Rameshwaram districts met with representatives of the Northern Federation of Fishermen Unions at a hotel in Vavuniya on Wednesday.
Fishermen representatives of both Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka took part in informal discussions on Wednesday in Vavuniya
The informal talks took place after the fisherfolk from both countries met at the recently held St Anthony’s feast at Katchathivu Islet when fisherfolk communities across the Palk Straits gathered on the uninhabited island.
Sri Lankan fishermen said that they believed the meeting was scheduled after they handed over a petition to Indian authorities through the office of the Indian Consulate General Office in Jaffna recently, explaining the existential threat to their livelihoods due to the ongoing harmful bottom trawling practice.
Over the years, Northern fishermen groups consistently demanded that Tamil Nadu fishermen should give up the harmful bottom trawling practices if any discussions were to take place with their counterparts across the Straits.
That call was reiterated once again on Wednesday. But Tamil Nadu fishermen leaders downplayed it, requesting a ‘grace period’ followed by a high-level meeting between the governments of the two countries with the participation of fishermen leaders.
“We exchanged the difficulties communities faced due to this issue in the mid-sea. The Indian side explained the ordeal their fishermen have to go through once they are taken into custody for engaging in trawling in our waters. We agree that fishermen have to be treated in a humanitarian manner,” said Fishermen’s Federation secretary N.M. Aalam.
However, he stressed that Northern fishermen will not be requesting special treatment towards Indian fishermen from the government since the fisheries laws and amendments were introduced in the recent past due to their consistent protests demanding tough action against them.
“ Our laws are strict and very clear. How can we ask the government to give special treatment towards them since we are the ones who wanted tough action against poaching Indian fishermen?” Mr. Aalam told the Sunday Times.
A recently seized Indian trawler
The talks between the two fisherfolk communities came in the wake of the scheduled visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the island next Friday, where it is expected that the fisheries issue will be taken up during the bilateral discussions.
Northern fishermen leaders also pointed out that a similar agreement was reached in 2012 between fishermen groups of the two countries agreeing to give up bottom trawling within two years and switch to alternative fishing methods, but Tamil Nadu fishermen failed to do so.
The day after the fishermen-level talks, a group of eleven Indian fishermen were taken into custody for engaging in bottom trawling off Delft Island, Jaffna. A bottom trawler was also seized by naval authorities.
Ramanathapuram Trawlers Association secretary Raayappan Sakayam, who took part in the talks, told the Sunday Times that the meeting was a good initiative by the fisherfolk of both countries after a long gap of nine years.
“Sri Lankan fishermen refused to agree to a grace period on bottom trawling, and they want an immediate stop, which we are unable to do. We are hopeful that both governments can intervene in this matter and agree on principles in order to resolve this,” Mr Raayappan said.
President of the All Mechanised Boats Fishermen’s Association in Rameswaram, P. Sesuraja, said this time they did not raise the issue of Katchathivu island but stressed that they have ‘ traditional fishing rights’ around the island as per the bilateral agreements reached between the two countries.
“The Katchathivu issue is purely being raised these days in Tamil Nadu by various parties for political gains. What we want is an amicable solution to the issue,” he said.
The matter was raised in the Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha, this week, where External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the House that 97 Indian fishermen are currently in the custody of Sri Lanka, of which 83 are serving sentences, and three are awaiting trial, including the latest arrest.
Among those who are serving the sentences are repeat offenders and owners of mechanised bottom trawlers who were prosecuted under the amended provisions of the Fisheries (Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats) Act No. 59 of 1979.
Responding to a questionnaire raised by an Opposition MP, Minister Jaishankar said India is trying to engage with Sri Lanka to take a humanitarian approach to the issue, even as the central government is finding long-term ways, including installing transponders on fishing boats, to ensure that such a situation does not recur.
Stressing that the current government ‘ inherited’ the problem, the Indian Foreign Minister said that the decisions which were taken in 1974 and 1976 are the root cause of the situation the country is facing – referring to bilateral correspondence between the two countries and the demarcation of international maritime boundary lines.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!