Ban on poaching enhances fishing, helps reduce prices:

VMS to monitor fishing vessels

By P. Krishnaswamy

The Northern fishing waters rendered bereft of its fertile aquatic wealth, mainly due to poaching from across the Palk Strait, will now rebound with the recent enforcement of a total ban on poaching and all prohibited methods of fishing, said Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Dr. Rajitha Senaratne in an interview with the Sunday Observer. Poaching has now stopped completely and the Northern fishermen could engage in fishing peacefully in their traditional fishing grounds, he said. The Navy has intensified patrolling and over 150 poachers and their vessels were apprehended during the last fortnight.

Excerpts of the interview:

Question: How far have your efforts to address malnutrition among the population by popularising fish been successful?

Answer: The primary focus was on addressing the malnutrition problem in the country. We had a malnutrition of 21 percent among children. This year it has come down to less than 12 percent due, mainly, to increased fish consumption. The per capita consumption now is 39.4 grams. When I took over the ministry the per capita consumption of fish per day was only 31 grams. We have set up targets to increase it to 60 grams. The total fish production has to reach 685,000 tonnes to achieve the target. When it is achieved everybody will have the required amount of fish. Malnutrition is due to protein deficiency and 72 percent of the people of the country depend on the intake of animal protein. So it is the correct method to get rid of malnutrition. Secondly, we wish to strengthen the fishermen because they are the spine of the industry. We have made it a tax free industry in the best interests of the fishermen. All permits are now being issued free of charge. We have arranged loan schemes for them at the lowest interest rates with the provision of all other facilities. The Government is subsidising 4 percent of the interests on the loans. The Government repays 25 percent of loans of the Northern fishermen, while also subsidising 4 percent of the interests.

The Government incurs an expenditure of Rs.300 million a month on fuel subsidies to fishermen. We are also introducing an insurance scheme for all fishermen. From January onwards it will be compulsory for every seafaring fishermen to be insured under this scheme so that they will be compensated for any hazards. A pension scheme will also be introduced for the fishermen. The system of issuing passes by the Navy - that has been in force in respect of the Northern fishermen has now been done away with.

Q: According to your Ministry forecasts, will fish prices come down further in the future?

A: The prices have been stable since 2011. But this festive season the prices came down because the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) reduced prices to the lowest possible level and people were happy. With the increasing production and expansion of the distribution network prices will certainly come down further in the future.

Q: Could you tell us about the prawn farming industry which encountered problems in recent years?

A: The industry is doing well now. It has been extended to the Eastern province. Several hundreds of acres are already under prawn culture. There have been inquiries from many foreign investors and we are planning to give them thousands of acres for prawn farming. It is a lucrative industry but due to the 'white spot' disease experienced in the late '90s, the industry broke down and exports declined. Prawn farmers faced a crisis and could not repay bank loans to the tune of Rs.311 million. The interests worked out to a staggering figure Rs.1578 million, five fold the loan amount. At a recent meeting with the Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the bankers and the prawn farmers I explained the difficulties faced by farmers and got the banks to write-off the interest. The banks agreed to reschedule the loan. It will help boost the industry. If repayments are regular in the next six months, the farmers will become eligible for further loans. On my request, President Mahinda Rajapaksa directed the Treasury to remove the tax on the import of prawn feed and, consequently, the prices came down.

Q: Organisations representing the Northern fishermen repeatedly complain that fertile fishing waters in the North have been reduced to depletion due to the decades-long poaching from across the Palk Strait and the fishermen are facing a threat to their livelihood. Your comments?

A: Fish breeding and resources will now rebound with the recent enforcement of a total ban on poaching and prohibited methods of fishing. No presence of Indian trawlers and poachers have been reported. Poaching has stopped completely and the Northern fishermen will now be able to engage in fishing peacefully in the traditional fishing grounds. They were deprived of their livelihood for nearly three decades due to the imposition of many restrictions, such as the 'sea security zone', during the war on terrorism. The Indian fishermen took advantage of the situation and came in their hundreds and took to recourse bottom-trawler fishing and other prohibited methods of fishing destroying the sea-bed and other breeding grounds. The Navy has intensified patrolling and over 150 poachers and their vessels were apprehended recently.

Q: Speculation is that Indian fishermen have only suspended their arrival for 45 days because it is the fish breeding period and they would continue to come at the conclusion of the 45 days. What is your comment?

A: This shows that they have been poaching in a well-organised and systematic manner in our territorial fishing waters. But I do not believe they will come again on account of the very stern measures that have been instituted by the Government and the Navy to stop them from entering our territorial fishing waters.

Q: Contradicting accusations are repeatedly being made in Tamil Nadu. Unions representing the Northern fishermen have said that they never sighted any Indian fishermen being attacked by the Navy. What is the actual situation?

A: The Navy Commander told me very clearly that there have been no incidents where they had attacked the Indian fishermen. They only apprehend the intruding fishermen and their vessels. The allegations of attacks by the Navy are certainly unfounded.

Q: The TNA parliamentarians seemingly do not take up the fishermen's issue with the Indian leaders during their frequent meetings although it affects over 100,000 Tamil fisher folk whom they claim to represent? What have you to say?

A: It is their double-standard. On the one hand they accuse the Government of human rights violations against the Tamils. On the other they are indifferent to HR violations perpetrated on the Tamil fishermen of the North. The Northern fishermen were deprived of their livelihood for three decades. They were virtually reduced to destitution. Now they could go to sea without any restrictions. After three decades now they could earn to make up, for the past losses . It is unfair to deprive them of that opportunity.

Q: What is the major project in relation to the fisheries industry that is in the pipeline?

A: The Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) is the major project. In future all Multi-Day Vessels will be operating under satellite direction. They would not be permitted to stray into territorial waters of other countries or into other oceans away from the Indian Ocean. In the event of their straying, they will be alerted under the system and put back on the right direction. The entire fleet of our fishing vessels can be monitored under the system. The 'fish finder' under the system will also help the fishermen to locate areas of fish concentration so that they can go there straight for the harvest without having to go searching.