The Fisheries Ministry has presented a Cabinet Memorandum seeking to establish a civilian voluntary force called “Sea Guards” to monitor Indian fishermen's frequent illegal bottom trawling in Northern territorial waters.

Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda told the Times Online that the Ministry has submitted the memorandum for Cabinet approval as a move to deter the Indian fishermen from entering the country’s waters for bottom trawling and destroying the nets of Northern fishermen.

“Their role is more of monitoring and assisting the Navy’s ongoing initiative to prevent Indian fishermen coming into our waters,” Minister Devananda said.

Members of the fisherfolk community will be recruited to the voluntary force through North-based Fishermen Unions, according to the Minister.

The frequent entry of Indian trawlers, almost daily nowadays, into our territorial waters in large numbers and in massive fishing boats hindering the fishing activities of local fishermen has impacted the livelihood of the fishing community as a whole.

The Cabinet memorandum stressed that at least 500 Indian Bottom trawlers enter into Sri Lankan territory and engage in bottom trawling on a daily basis where each mechanised trawler boat catches about 1,000 kg of fish and prawns from Northern waters.

Daily colossal loss to our country as a result of this illegal trawling is estimated to be Sri Lankan Rupees about 350 million. At least three days a week average of 900 Indian Trawlers enter the Northern waters, the Cabinet memorandum observed while stressing those trawlers not only catch fish and prawns but also sweep the juveniles, which they dump into the sea at the port of landing.

On Friday, the Navy arrested fifteen Indian fishermen for engaging in bottom trawling in Northern waters near Karainagar, Jaffna along with a trawler.

So far, a total number of sixteen Indian poaching trawlers and 125 Indian fishermen have been taken into custody and were subjected to legal action this year alone, according to the Navy.