Sri Lanka’s northern fishermen ‘fiercely oppose’ proposal to issue licence to Indian fishermen

COLOMBO

Sri Lanka’s northern fishermen on Sunday said they “fiercely oppose” the government’s plan to issue licences to Indian fishermen to enter Sri Lankan waters, terming the move a “serious setback” to their nearly 15-year-long struggle.

On February 22, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told Parliament that authorities were looking into possibly issuing licences to Indian fishermen, as part of Sri Lanka’s efforts to find a solution to the long-persisting fisheries conflict, through “cordial” bilateral talks. “This was discussed this with Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar…Sri Lanka’s priority is to safeguard fishermen’s livelihoods, the country’s marine resources, and find a long-term solution…India has proposed this licensing system as a solution, and we are holding discussions on it,” he said, adding that such a system would help Indian authorities better regulate their fishermen, and will also bring in money that could be used for Sri Lankan fishermen’s betterment. About “2,000 to 3,000 [Indian trawlers] come to our seas every day and our Navy is unable to control that,” Mr. Sabry further noted. 

The Hindu explains: Palk Bay fisheries conflict

The Minister’s remarks have sparked serious concern among northern fishermen, said Annalingam Annarasa, who leads a Jaffna-based fishermen’s association. “We are very worried, this will be a serious setback to our struggle for the last 15 years to stop Indian trawlers from entering our seas,” he told  The Hindu. “Moreover, some political actors are trying to turn fishermen of our two countries against each other, using this problem. We need an urgent solution to this.”

Also read: Keeping India at bay

Fisher leaders including him on Sunday put forward this view to Tamil MPs representing northern districts and sought their support to resist the Sri Lankan government’s proposal, and to urge Colombo to fully implement Sri Lankan laws that ban bottom trawling and illegal fishing.

Following the meeting, Jaffna MP M.A. Sumanthiran — whose Bill against bottom trawling was passed by the Sri Lankan parliament in 2017 — said the 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 aggravate the problem,” he said, adding that the MPs and fisher leaders would make a joint call to the government.