Indian fishermen 'plundering' Lanka's fishing resources says JVP leader

Indian fishermen are "plundering" Sri Lanka's natural fishing resources and violating its sovereignty by poaching into the country's waters, the Marxist JVP has alleged.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the continuous poaching by Indian fishermen was a violation of Sri Lanka's sovereignty. "When we speak of sovereignty we only speak about the land.

Our seas are being violated and our fishing resources are being plundered day in and day out by Indian fishermen," Dissanayake said during an address to a fisheries conference in the southern Dondra village yesterday. He claimed poaching by Indian fishermen have now gone up to the extent that only three days of fishing was available to Sri Lankans, while Indians indulge in illegal fishing rest of the week.

Not only Sri Lankan fishermen are being denied their livelihoods, Indian fishermen were plundering a natural resource belonging to Sri Lanka, Dissanayake said. Dissanayake's comments came as trade unions and professionals have stepped up their opposition to the proposed Indo-Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA).

There were street demonstrations last week against the proposed pact, which the government says will replace the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. The government says the pact is yet to be formalised and it will only be done after proper consultations. (PTI)