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| Sunday, 16 May 2004 |
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Over 70 fishing craft in distress homeward bound by Elmo Leonard Over 70 of Sri Lanka's costly multi-day fishing craft which were caught up in the typhoon conditions of May 7, 8 and 9, when fishing in the Arabian Sea, began limping back home, only last night. These craft, between 40 to 60 foot in length, are manned by daring fishermen, whose only chance of catching fish for export is to compete with much larger craft belonging to other nations, in international waters. These multi-day craft which stay at sea up to a month, had left fisheries harbours in Galle, Mirissa, Tangalla, Dondra, Beruwela and Negombo. The local craft are equipped with radio, satellite surveillance, cold storage facilities, food and water, Director General to the Fisheries Ministry, G. Piyasena, said. The Sri Lanka Fisheries Ministry, Friday ordered the boats to move out of India's Exclusive Economic Zone, on their way home. Earlier, the Indian coast guard, on humanitarian grounds, did not capture the Sri Lankan boats, following immediate negotiations between the two nations. All radio stations of the Fisheries Ministry will continue to work round the clock, until all these multi-day craft are safely back home, an official of the Ministry's Monitoring Controlling and Surveillance Department, A. L. Tilekeratne, said. The Indian authorities had even agreed to permit these boats to anchor in the New Fishing Port, in Mangalor, Karnatakar State, Secretary to the Fisheries Ministry, Nandasena Bambaravanage had been informed. The Indian coast guard also agreed to provide water and food to the Lankan fishermen, following an appeal made by Sri Lanka's Deputy High Commissioner, based in Chennai, Sumith Nakandala. However, the Sri Lankan craft had teamed together in two pockets, during their ordeal, 500 nautical miles north of the Lakshadweep island. Only one craft reported engine failure, but the problem was rectified. |
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