INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The enduring fisheries dispute in the Palk Bay - which impacts fisher folk of northern Sri Lanka and everyday wage fishermen of Tamil Nadu -
can be decisively resolved just if the Indian side stops using the damaging bottomtrawling approach, according to Sri Lankas Minister of
Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar.The fisheries dispute has stayed a crucial diplomatic problem between India and Sri Lanka for many years
It is likely to be talked about throughout President Anura Kumara Dissanayakes set up check out to India next week.People from all ethnic
groups and geographical regions, including the north, east, and hill coun-try, elected us [National Peoples Power alliance], giving us a big
mandate in the recently held elections
We have a responsibility to resolve their concerns, said Mr
Chandrasekar, who represents the northern Jaffna district in par-liament
The longpersisting issue of bottom trawlers used by Indian anglers, stemming from Tamil Nadu, has actually been the chief concern of our
northern fishing neighborhoods, he informed The Hindu on Wednesday at the Ministry of Fisheries.Solving the IndoLanka fisheries dispute
belongs to the NPP federal governments thorough plans to enhance Sri Lankas fish production utilizing contemporary innovation and
sustainable methods, he stated
The countrys per capita fish usage, which was 17.2 kg in 2017, has now decreased to 11.07 kg, showing a reduction in peoples protein
consumption, according to the NPPs prepoll manifesto.Malnutrition has actually come under sharp focus, especially after the countrys
unpleasant economic crash in 2022
We require to improve seafood production to ensure individuals have access to nutrition
To do all that, we need our sea and our marine biodiversity to be secured, Mr
Chandrasekar said.The fisheries conflict in the Palk Bay is mainly over competing incomes amidst a fastdepleting catch
While a bilaterally concurred, fictional maritime border line demarcates territorial waters of the neighbours, northern Sri Lankan anglers
have for long pointed to bottom trawling as the underlying problem.Bottom trawlers are fishing vessels that generally drag big fishing
internet along the seabed, scooping out whatever from eggs and child fish to marine vegetation, in addition to the target catch of fish or
For numerous decades, Indian anglers from various seaside states, consisting of Tamil Nadu, have actually used the practice that has
actually increased India's seafood exports and yielded high profits.After discussing the issue in a 2016 bilateral meet-ing, India and Sri
Lanka established a Joint Working Group that, among other things, consented to accelerate the shift towards ending the practice of bottom
trawling at the earliest.However, there has actually been no reprieve, according to Tamil fishermen living along Sri Lankas northern coast,
who are among the worst affected in the islands lengthy civil war that ended in 2009
Fifteen years because, they have actually been unable to restore their livelihoods, primarily due to the fact that of the destructive
results of bottomtrawling by Indian fishermen.Sri Lanka banned the practice in 2017 and enforced stiff fines on foreign vessels in 2018
In spite of the moves, and the ceaseless appeals from their northern Sri Lankan equivalents, Tamil Nadu anglers are yet to quit the
On the other hand, day-to-day wage Tamil Nadu anglers engaged by the trawler owners are often arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of
engaging in prohibited fishing in Sri Lankas territorial waters, and the vessels are taken
The arrests so far in 2024 total over 530, more than double last years figure
Over 400 of those have been released and repatriated, main updates showed.On Wednesday, Indian High Commissioner San-tosh Jha contacted the
Minister at his office and worried for a humanitarian - & constructive approach in resolving the anglers problem
Asked for early release of anglers in custody, the High Commission published on X.Sri Lanka greatly valued India's crucial and timely
support throughout the economic crisis of 2022, and President Dissanayakes federal government appreciates the value of the nations India
ties, the Sri Lankan Minister kept in mind
India is not just Sri Lankas close neighbour and important development partner, but a nation that shares historical and cultural ties.Our
grandparents and fantastic grandparents hailed from India, stated Mr
Chandrasekhar, who is from Sri Lankas Malaiyaha [hill nation] Tamil neighborhood, brought down by the British 2 centuries back to operate in
Many of us still have familial links in Tamil Nadu, he stated, prompting individuals and federal governments of India and Tamil Nadu to see
the larger image in the fisheries problem.There is a propensity to see the fisheries conflict as one between Tamil Nadu anglers and the Sri
however they need to understand that bottom trawling has actually significantly affected the incomes of Tamil anglers in northern Sri Lanka,
who have suffered substantial losses throughout the war, he said.Source: The Hindu-- Agencies
