Daily the country is losing Sri Lankan Rs. 5 Billion due to the poaching by the Tamil Nadu fisherman. We experienced this huge loss for the last 30 years when the country was involved in the ethnic conflict. This situation cannot be allowed to continue any further said Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development.
In the meantime, Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya speaking to Asian Tribune said at any cost we will not allow any more the Tamil Nadu fishermen crossing the International Maritime Border Line and stray into Sri Lankan waters and plunder our sea resources.
Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, speaking to Asian Tribune said that he is not prepared to give any concession for the Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters.
He said, though India has requested to allow the Indian Fishermen to fish in our waters, we will not allow. Our people are going to the sea after thirty years. You are the people who were talking about the human rights of the Tamil people and now why are you all coming here? This amounts to Tamil Nadu Government and fisherman violating the human rights of our Tamil fishermen.
Sri Lankan Minister said that those Indian fishermen arrested and released on the request of Indian Government are allowed to go scot-free when they arrive in Rameswaram and other ports cities in Tamil Nadu. We haven’t seen Tamil Nadu Government taking any legal action on those fishermen who have crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line. Why? Are they compromising the law and order situation and perpetuating illegality?
Sri Lankan Minister further said, On the 7th of October we are meeting with the Indians. The meeting will be held in Colombo and a delegation is coming, a joint working group. They are people representing the Foreign Ministry and the fisheries ministry in India. They are coming to discuss regarding the Indian fishermen problem.
I am going to adopt a strict line. I will be sticking to the international maritime law conditions, said Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister.
The Fisheries Minister said, furthermore, we have also a delegation coming from the EU. We have told to the EU that we will sort out the issues with Indians without any third party interference. Then they asked why your fishermen are being arrested in India? In Sri Lanka their people are not arrested? That is our problem. I will tell the Indian Government that we will never allow Indian fishermen poaching in our waters.
He also said, Also there is a thinking that if we find an Indian fishermen poaching in our waters for the second time, we will produce the person in our court of law and the law of the land will take it normal course of action and we will not allow such person to go due to pressure of the Indian Government without undergoing the verdict of our courts.
We have also calculated the amount of loss caused by the poaching in our waters especially by the Tamil Nadu fishermen. It is about Rs. 5 billion a day.
Also they are using the trawling fishing methods which are banned in Sri Lanka. By practicing the banned system of fishing in our waters, they are destroying the corals.
Unfortunately, the Al Jazeera report revealed wrongly as our annual loss as USD 50 million.
In the meantime Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya when speaking to Asian Tribune said on behalf of the Navy side, what I have to tell is that we will never allow the Indian Fishermen to cross the IMBL. But when you consider the large number of trawlers coming into our waters, it is not possible to stop the entire thing with our available resources. Anyhow we try our maximum to stop these guys crossing the IMBL and coming into our Sri Lankan waters.
Asian Tribune: Do you know what the Indian press writes? They always say that while the fishermen were fishing around Katchativu Island, Sri Lankan Navy comes and arrest them and so many other stories. When they say that Indian fishermen were fishing around Katchativu Island then that is the confession that they have already crossed IMBL and entered into the Sri Lankan waters.
Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya: Katchativu is located 1 nautical mile west of IMBL and located inside the Sri Lankan waters.
Furthermore regarding the Indian fishermen allegations, we never do such things.
We are a state organization. We are well trained in human right practices.
The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday rejected claims they had attacked a group of Indian fishermen last week.
The Indian media reported that the fishermen were attacked on two separate occasions last week, injuring at least three of them.
However, Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya said both incidents had occurred inside Indian territorial waters and the Sri Lankan navy was not involved.
"We strongly deny these claims. It has now become a trend for the Sri Lankan navy to be blamed for attacks on Indian fishermen. We were not involved in any of the incidents," the Navy spokesman told Asian Tribune.