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5,000 Lankan fishermen to stage mid-sea protest
View(s):By Chris Kamalendran
More than 5,000 fishermen will stage a mid-sea protest against Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters, Traditional Industries and Small Enterprises Development Minister Douglas Devananda said yesterday.
He told the Sunday Times the protest would take place when the annual feast of St. Anthony was celebrated in the church on the island of Kachchathivu. Devotees from India and Sri Lanka take part in the festival.
Minister Devananda said the Indian fishermen were using illegal methods and destroying Sri Lanka’s aquatic resources.
He said Indian fishermen were continuing to intrude into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters despite warnings.
“From time to time there were talks on the issue, but little or nothing has been done to prevent the intruders. It is time for the fishermen to show their opposition,” he said.
The issue of poaching was taken up at the Indo-Lanka Joint Commission meeting held early this week. External Affairs Ministry Secretary Karunatillake Amunugama who took part in the talks in New Delhi said that though the matter was taken up, it was decided that experts study the issue.
Meanwhile Jaffna District Fishermen’s Alliance President S. Thavraratnam a large number of Sri Lankan fishermen were keeping away from the sea as they could not compete with Indian fishermen. “They (Indian fishermen) are using proscribed fishing methods and as a result some of our fishermen have given up fishing.” In a related development academics from the Jaffna university, the Ruhunu University, members from the Southern Indian fishing society and representatives from a Netherlands university met in Jaffna to discuss possible methods to prevent poaching.
One of the suggestions was the provision of relief for northern fishermen affected by Indian poaching.
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