Sri Lanka’s northern fishermen on Sunday said they “strongly oppose” the government’s plan to issue licenses to Indian fishermen to enter Sri Lankan waters, terming the move as a “serious blow” to their nearly 15-year-long struggle. ‘ Let’s agree.
On 22 February, Foreign Minister Ali Sabri told parliament that officials were considering issuing licenses to Indian fishermen as part of Sri Lanka’s efforts to find a solution to the long-running fishing conflict through “amicable” bilateral talks. Are.
“Discussed this with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar… Sri Lanka’s priority is fishermen’s livelihood, protecting the country’s marine resources and finding a long-term solution… India has proposed this licensing system as a solution, and we will are discussing,” he said, adding that such a system would help Indian authorities regulate their fishermen better, and also bring in money that could be used for the betterment of Sri Lankan fishermen.
Sabri further said, “Around 2,000 to 3,000 (Indian trawlers) come into our sea every day and our navy is unable to control it.”
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Annalingam Annarasa, who heads the Jaffna-based fishermen association, said the minister’s remarks had raised serious concerns among northern fishermen.
“We are very concerned, this will be a serious blow to our struggle of the last 15 years to prevent Indian trawlers from entering our seas,” he said. Hindu, “Moreover, some political actors are trying to use this problem to pit fishermen of both our countries against each other. We need an immediate solution to this.”
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Fishermen leaders, including him, on Sunday pitched the idea to Tamil MPs representing the northern districts, seeking their support in opposing the Sri Lankan government’s resolution and urging Colombo to fully implement Sri Lankan laws, which Prohibit bottom fishing and illegal fishing.
After the meeting, Jaffna MP MA Sumanthiran – whose bill against bottom trawling was passed by Sri Lanka’s parliament in 2017 – said legislators across parties agreed that no permits should be issued to Indian trawlers.
“Even without permits, Indian trawlers are already entering Sri Lankan waters, and destroying marine resources. Issuing licenses will only add to the problem.
The fisheries conflict affecting fishermen from Sri Lanka and India remains a thorny issue in India-Sri Lanka bilateral relations.
Since the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009, Tamil fishermen living in Sri Lanka’s northern districts have consistently protested Indian trawlers – coming from Tamil Nadu – fishing along their coastline, citing the destruction they cause to marine life. Biodiversity and their livelihoods are closely tied to it.
Sri Lankan fishermen also frequently report severe damage to their fishing nets and gear, and heavy losses due to bottomed trawlers.
Despite several rounds of bilateral talks and discussions between fishermen’s representatives on both sides of the Palk Strait, the issue is yet to be resolved, leaving fishermen in northern Sri Lanka struggling to revive their war-torn livelihoods , are in a precarious position.
In 2016, the two governments agreed to “accelerate the transition towards ending the practice of bottom trawling as soon as possible”, acknowledging a “genuine” demand of Sri Lankan fishermen.
However, with no solution in sight, the northern fishermen continue to agitate.
Last year, he wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin seeking his intervention to conclusively resolve the issue. He also presented several petitions to the Indian missions in Sri Lanka.
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According to Ahilan Kadirgamar, a senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna who researches northern livelihoods, the proposed licensing system will “undermine fishing as a way of life” for the next generations of Sri Lankan fishermen.
“Since the end of the war, the fishermen’s struggle has been to find a diplomatic solution to this serious problem caused by Indian trawlers. They feel betrayed by both the Sri Lankan and Indian governments.