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| Sunday, 14 November 2004 |
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India to issue licence to real fishermen by Anton Nonis As the incidence of Indian fishermen poaching into Sri Lankan territorial waters goes unabated, the Indian government has agreed to license all those engaged in fishing in the Northern sea area, Defence Secretary, Cyril Herath told the Sunday Observer. This will give an opportunity for the Indian authorities to weed out any unscrupulous elements getting mingled with the real fishermen. However, the Indian government will first identify those fisher groups who were actually engaged in the fishing pursuit for long periods, before issuing any licences. This is to avoid fresh hands who may try to get the fishermen's licences with the pretext of posing as fishermen. Whatever the case is, Mr.Herath said that he had given stiff instructions to the Sri Lanka Navy to be on the watch for any poachers and take steps to discourage such activities at all times. The Defence Ministry had enlightened the soldiers in the Navy patrol crafts that the poachers might use this opportunity for smuggling, of contraband and weaponary. Police sources in Mannar said that last week scores of local fishermen in Pesalai and Mannar staged a massive demonstration in the areas which crippled traffic movement for nearly three days. They had urged the government to put an end to Indian fishermen poahing into Sri Lankan waters. The demonstration was as a result of over a hundred Indian trawlers poaching into the country's 'Exclusive Economic Zone' (EEZ) the previous day. Though the situation remained at this, Herath has instructed the Navy to take precautions on their preventive actions so as not to erode the good relations of Sri Lanka with its neighbour. |
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