Three - Member team led by Indian High Commissioner visit Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to study fishing disputes

High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay along with two Mission officials visited  Tamil Nadu from November 21-24 to inspect ongoing initiatives taken to encourage Indian fishermen to adopt alternative fishing methods to resolve the ongoing issue of them poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

In the constructive discussions held with the senior officials of the State Government of Tamil Nadu and other stakeholders, it was agreed to facilitate early holding of India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries as well as interactions between Fishermen Associations of both the countries, according to a statement issued by the Indian High Commission in Colombo.

The High Commissioner was informed that a team from Tamil Nadu would visit Sri Lanka to finalise modalities of the auction for the unsalvageable Indian fishing boats in various Sri Lankan harbours.

In Tamil Nadu, the High Commissioner paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Tamil Nadu Thiru N. Ravi and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Thiru MK Stalin. High Commissioner apprised Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and senior officials of Tamil Nadu of key matters related to people-to-people relations between India and Sri Lanka.

The High Commissioner also called on the Minister for Fisheries – Fishermen Welfare and Animal Husbandry Thiru Anitha R. Radhakrishnan, Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management Dr PalanivelThiagaRajan and Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non Resident Tamils Welfare ThiruGingeeK.S.Masthan in Chennai.

On the first day of his visit (21 November), the High Commissioner visited the coastal town of Rameshwaram and interacted with the local fishing community on the issues faced by Indian fishermen. Government of Tamil Nadu officials briefed the visiting High Commissioner on the infrastructure and other facilities they had developed for deep sea fishing in the district. 

The High Commissioner also utilised the opportunity to visit the old ferry harbour in Dhanuskodhi that had catered to people-to-people connectivity between India and Sri Lanka.

He also visited Sri Lankan Rehabilitation Camp in Thiruchirapalli and interacted with the Sri Lankan refugees accommodated there.

At a trade and investment event organized by the South Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), the High Commissioner interacted with Tamil Nadu business community on the importance of close collaboration to harness trade and investment opportunities for Indian business in Sri Lanka.

In Puducherry, the High Commissioner called on the Hon’ble Lt Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan and also on with Hon’ble Chief Minister of Puducherry Thiru. N. Rangaswamy, apart from meeting senior officials of the Union Territory.