Jayalalithaa urges centre to act decisively on fishermen issue

Bringing to the notice of the Prime Minister the arrest of four more TN fishermen by Lankan Navy, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday urged the Centre to act decisively and initiate a calibrated set of actions to end the sufferings of fisherfolk.

“I urge your personal intervention in this matter and request you to direct the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter strongly with the Lankan authorities and secure the immediate release of 41 fishermen and 56 fishing boats including the four fishermen and their fishing boat apprehended on December 17”, she said in her letter to the Prime Minister.

She also requested the PM to expedite the return of four fishermen from Tamil Nadu and their motorised craft which was stranded on the Lankan shores on November 8 due to mechanical failure.
Jayalalithaa said continued incarceration of fishermen and impounding of their boats in Lanka just as the festive season was beginning had caused great frustration and despondency amongst the fisherfolk of Tamil Nadu.

She said Lankan authorities were persisting with their aggressive and offensive approach of apprehending Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and infringing upon their traditional right to pursue their peaceful livelihood of fishing in the Palk Bay.

Reiterating that the IMBL itself was a matter sub judice in the SC, the Chief Minister recalled that as a permanent remedial measure to reduce the fishing pressure in the Palk Bay and also to expand deep sea fishing capabilities to tap the untapped deep sea fishery resources, her government pioneered a scheme with an outlay of Rs.51.3 crore for providing 50 per cent subsidy to fishermen for procuring new Tuna longliner cum Gill netter. (ENS)