Minister Mahinda Amaraweera says another round of discussion is to be held with the Indian State officials regarding South Indian fishing vessels poaching Sri Lankan waters in Colombo on 2nd of next month. 

The Indian ministers of External Affairs and Fisheries will lead the Indian delegation. More than 5,000 fishing vessels enter Sri Lankan waters at least 3 days a week. Around 6,000 metric tons of fish are caught by them weekly and Sri Lanka looses more than 9 billion rupees as a result of it.

However the Fisheries Minister says poaching has reduced by 50 percent at present. The operations carried out by the Navy and the coast guards to seize such boats have resulted this decline. The minister also added that none of the seized Indian boats were released after he assumed duties of the portfolio. Minister Amaraweera was speaking at the ceremony held recently to declare open the new outlet of Sri Lanka Fisheries Corporation at Warakapola town.