Crackdown on Indian poaching
by P. Krishnaswamy
The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) is to hold urgent discussions
with fishermen's co-operative societies and 82 village-level fishermen's
organisations to map out a strategy of dealing with poaching by Indian
fishermen, Rural Development, Transport and Commerce Minister for the
Northern Province, Balasubramaniam Daniswaran said.
The outcome of our consultations will be shared with both the New
Delhi administration and the Tamil Nadu Government, ahead of meetings to
be held in Chennai,” he said. There are 28 fishermen's cooperative
societies, representing nearly 35,000 fisher families in the Northern
Province alone. The previous government also established 82
village-level organisations, that led to conflicts among the
organisations, which are now being resolved, Daniswaran said.
At an April 2 meeting with the NPC, President Maithripala Sirisena
announced that the NPC had the powers to handle all issues relating to
northern fishermen, on its own.The provincial minister said, amendments
to the exisitng law are to be introduced. |