Fishing dispute: Minister rejects Swamy’s call for temporary permits

Fisheries minister Rajitha Senaratna yesterday rejected a call to allow Indian fishermen to fish in Sri Lankan waters on a permit system for three years.

He was responding to a call by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Subramanian Swamy who made the suggestion at a seminar organised by the Defence Ministry in Colombo this week.

“There is no possibility of agreeing to such a request. Nobody can take an arbitrary decision on this,” Dr Senaratne said.

Dr. Swamy said Indian fishermen were unable to catch good fish due to reckless fishing on the Indian side.

“On the Gulf of Mannar, our quality fish and shrimps have been fished out. Now, the good export value fish and shrimp are on the Sri Lankan side. We have to sit down with Sri Lanka and say give us three years to repopulate our side of the ocean. In between you give us some permits to fish on your side,” he said.

Official talks on fisheries issues between the two countries have been fixed for next Friday in New Delhi. Sri Lanka’s delegation will be headed by Fisheries Director General Nimal Hettiarachchi and include Fisheries Ministry advisor S. Subasinghe, and Additional Solicitor General Suhada Gamlath.

Meanwhile, fishermen in Rameshwaran, India have called off a move to invade Pamban Bridge in the Palk Strait after Indian officials promised to secure the release of Indian fishing boats which are being detained by Sri Lanka.

Justin Zoysa, President of the Mannar Fisheries Federation said they had told the Fisheries Minister to take action against the illegal poaching of Indian fishermen who came by country boats to the Mannar sea area.

“They come here in trawlers and ‘watha’ (indigenous boats) and throw nylon nets into the deep sea. Our fishermen’s nets are destroyed. The navy in Thalaimannar has not arrested them. We have been affected severely by this type of fishing methods. We urged the minister to take immediate actions to stop this,” he said.