| Sri Lanka has sought time to study a draft copy of a proposed Memorandum of Understating (MoU) on development and co-operation in the area of fisheries, presented to officials when the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries met in New Delhi last week.
The draft of the MoU which has been in the making for more than five years will be studied by experts from the Fisheries Ministry as well as the Navy, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs Ranjith Uyangoda, who headed the Lankan delegation at the two-day talks said.
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| While discussions take place on official level, northern
fishermen face hard times. |
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The Joint Working Group on Fisheries met on March 28 and 29 after a lapse of more than five years amidst escalating tensions between Sri Lanka’s northern fishermen and fishermen from South India following regular intrusions by Indian fishermen into Lankan territorial waters.
This issue was discussed at length, with the Sri Lankan delegates explaining that the intrusion had hindered the development of the fishing industry to its full potential in the north, since all restrictions on fishing had been lifted following the end of the war against the LTTE.
As a short term measure, the two sides have agreed to work on a road map to ensure resource sustainability, livelihood, safety and security of the fishermen of both countries as well as expedite the release of bonafide detained fishermen.
Even though the need to respect the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) when fishing was stressed at the talks by the Sri Lankan side, the intrusions continue, S.Thavaratnam, the Chairman of the Jaffna District Fishermen’s Co-operative Society Unions Federation said. “Our fishermen are sitting on the shore while the Indian fishermen are going about their business in our waters,” Mr.Thavaratnam charged. He said he was awaiting a meeting with Minister Douglas Devananda to find out whether the Working Group meeting had resolved any of the problems faced by the Jaffna fishermen.
While official discussions continued, the three Sri Lankan fishermen taken into custody by the Indian Navy on March 22 off the waters of Velvetithurai were still being detained there.
The Indian High Commission in Colombo in a news release on March 28 stated that the three fishermen were found poaching in Indian waters and were taken into custody by the Indian Navy and later handed over to the law enforcement authorities. “In keeping with the practical arrangements in force between India and Sri Lanka, Indian authorities are taking steps to obtain their expeditious release from custody and to arrange for their early repatriation to Sri Lanka,” the High Commission said.
However, Mr.Thavaratnam said northern fishermen do not venture into Indian waters as they can barely mange to fish even within Lankan waters given the heavy presence of Indian fishermen.
Meanwhile, the India- Sri Lanka Joint Working group agreed last week to meet at least once a year, to discuss the progress of the MoU, Mr. Uyangoda said.
The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by T.S. Tirumurti, Joint Secretary (BSM), and Ministry of External Affairs of India. In addition officials of the Fisheries ministries and Navies of both the countries were also present.
The two sides had agreed that use of force on fishermen of either country cannot be justified under any circumstances, a joint statement issued after the talks said
The Indian delegation had also thanked the Sri Lankan authorities for facilitating the visit of Indian fishermen and pilgrims to Kachchativu for the festival of St. Anthony earlier this month, the statement added. |
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