Friday, 20th February 2015
Modi to visit Sri Lanka next month
by Zacki Jabbar
Sri Lanka had declined an offer by India for borderless fishing between the two countries, it was revealed yesterday.
Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, addressing yesterdays Cabinet Press Briefing in Colombo, said that the proposal had been made during last week’s talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Maithripala Sirisena in New Delhi.
He said that when they complained about the disadvantage faced by the northern fisherman due to the frequent intrusions of South Indian fishing trawlers into Sri Lankan waters, India had suggested borderless fishing as a solution.
"In terms of the agreement proposed by them our vessels would be given free access to catch tuna in Indian waters while they be permitted to fish in our waters", Senaratne noted, adding that the offer was declined since it would not benefit the northern fisherman who used boats to catch small fish, prawns, lobsters etc.
"It is our fisherman in the South who use big vessels to catch tuna. If we had accepted the Indian proposal the northern fisherman would not have been able to compete with the Indian trawlers," he pointed out.
Senaratne said that they had decided to arrange a meeting between the fisher societies of both countries to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.
The issue would, he said, be further discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Sri Lanka from March 13 to 15.
President of the Gurnagar Fisheries Development Society, Julian Sahayarai told a meeting between a National Chamber of Exporters (NCE) delegation and his Society in Gurunagar last week that nearly 16,000 South Indian trawlers fished in Sri Lankan waters, but the Indian Navy prevented about 200 Sri Lankan boats from crossing the maritime boundary.
When it was pointed out that senior politicians of the previous government had privately admitted to The Island that Jaffna fishermen, too had entered Indian waters, he replied: "That is not true. How can we do that with 200 odd boats? We do not go beyond the 25 km limit that has been set."
"Our Navy is turning a blind eye to the Indian trawlers," Sahayarai charged. "What are we to do? If this goes on the fisherman will have to look for alternative livelihoods."
Asked why they, too, did not use trawlers he said that the Fisheries Department had banned bottom-trawling for environmental reasons.
From : http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=119907
