Only India can check poaching and illegal fishing

by Manjula Fernando

Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera is expected to undertake a visit to India shortly, in an effort to look at an 'innovative solution' to the fisheries issue between the two countries.

The fisheries issue had been one of the key matters taken up at the ninth session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission which visiting Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired with her Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera on Friday.

The TNA delegation, led by R.Sampanthan had also raised this issue when they met the Indian External Affairs Minister yesterday afternoon and expressed the need to address this urgently so that the Sri Lankan fishermen can fish in their territorial waters without a hindrance.

Speaking to the Media after the meeting, TNA parliamentarian M.A.Sumanthiran said they raised concern over the destructive bottom trawling carried out by large Indian fishing vessels in Sri Lankan waters and pointed out that it was only the Indian government that could put a stop to poaching and illegal fishing practices by the Indian fishermen.