India draws the line for TN fishermen

The Indian government yesterday categorically told Tamil Nadu fishermen not to fish in Sri Lankan waters by crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), The Hindu reported. Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj told fisher leaders who met her in New Delhi on Wednesday that it was time the Indian fishermen stopped fishing on the Sri Lankan side. “We explained to her that if we do not fish across the boundary line, we cannot make our ends meet. We have invested heavily in our trawlers and fishing nets,” said P. Sesu Raja, leader of a Rameswaram-based mechanised boat fishermen’s association, who was part of the 22-member delegation. However, Ms. Swaraj is said to have “categorically” stated that negotiating the release of arrested fishermen with the island nation was getting increasingly difficult, as Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen were badly hit by excessive trawling. In response, the fisher leaders asked the Centre to take their trawlers and compensate them for them. “It was New Delhi that encouraged our fishermen to start using trawlers and now they want us to give up the practice,” Mr. Raja said. States such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu started using trawlers in the mid-1960s. The Centre invested heavily in infrastructure along the coast with the aim of maximising profits. However, following decades of incessant trawling, marine resources along Tamil Nadu’s coast were destroyed, prompting fishermen to fish on the Sri Lankan side of the IMBL. Over the last few years – particularly since 2009 after the island’s civil war ended – fishermen in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province have been expressing serious concern over the impact caused by Indian trawlers that poach in their territory. The Palk Bay conflict has also proved a strain on Indo-Lanka ties. “The Minister said Sri Lanka may not release our arrested fishermen easily if we continue to fish in their waters,” Mr. Raja said. New Delhi is mulling over deep sea fishing as an alternative, but fisher leaders said the shift would require huge investment and training. On Tuesday, as many as 80 fisher leaders from Tamil Nadu held discussions with Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary P. Muralidhar Rao. Tamil Nadu BJP president Tamilisai Soundararajan, who was present at the meeting said: “The fishermen shared their concerns and problems in a detailed discussion with us,” ahead of select leaders’ meeting with Ms. Swaraj.