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| Sunday, 4 January 2004 |
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Security |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Coast guard services to be developed by Elmo Leonard Sri Lanka's coast guard services is to be developed into a reckoning force with the use of fully equipped ships including arms to apprehend poachers and helicopters for detection and life saving purposes. Land based coast guards will be equipped with land vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and weapons. Land and sea coast guards will receive weapons training. The Indian Line of Credit is to be tapped for funds, for the purpose, Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Resources, Mahinda Wijesekera, announced to his ministry officials, in a new year message. The police, navy and other armed services will coordinate with coast guards, in this plan. Thus far, the services of the local coast guards is negligible, in the opinion of the Fisheries Minister. Even the apprehension of poachers within the island's Exclusive Economic Zone has to be carried out by the navy. The number of coast guards will be increased from the current 164 officers, positioned from Puttalam in the north-west to Kirinda in the south-east and at two units in Kalmunai and Trincomalee. The coast guard fleet is also small and comprises, six 55 foot fibreglass vessels and other fibreglass boats. Meanwhile, amidst islandwide protests by small-time fishermen, beginning April 31, the use of lights at night to lure small fish stocks such as sprats, salaya and hurulla will come under total prohibition, as part of the coast guard plan. These fishermen say that by using lights, big-timers deplete small fish stocks leaving them with nothing to catch. Under the new plan, coast guards will also have to prevent the use of unlawful nets; sand and coral mining; dynamiting of fish; poaching; piracy and rescue fishermen and fishing crafts in distress, assistant director for monitoring controlling and surveillance for the Ministry of Fisheries, Lal de Silva said. Coast guards stationed in fisheries harbours will have to ensure that only registered fishing crafts enter the harbour; that only lawful nets are used; that dynamite is not taken along and monitor the catch of every fishing craft. |
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