Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, Mahinda Amaraweera is considering idea of releasing few Indian trawlers out of the 42 trawlers taken in to custody by Sri Lanka in 2015. Discussions in this regard were held on with a group of representatives of the fishing associations in the Northern Province. Minister discussing with the representatives stated that he has advised SL Navy and Coast Guard to expedite the apprehending of Indian trawlers on Sri Lankan waters since Indian fishers are reported to entering Sri Lankan waters exceedingly.
The total number of arrested and confiscated vessels is 128. In 2015, 43 vessels have been arrested and the Minister is considering to release few vessels out of the 43 vessels initially arrested in 2015. However, the fisher community in North will be conferred prior to releasing the apprehended Indian trawlers, emphasized Minister.
Indian central government has admitted that Indian bottom trawling has caused a massive calamity to the Northern sea of Sri Lanka and they have made many appreciable measures to prevent illegal trawling of Indian fishers. Accordingly the Indian government has terminated issuing permits for bottom trawling and 92 large scale trawlers have been converted to multiday vessels.
The representatives requested not to release any Indian fishing vessel for the time being and also asked to hold further discussions with them before arriving at a final decision. They also requested that these trawlers shall not be released since Indian fishers has already destroyed and looted the fish resource in Talai Mannar, Delft, Nainathivu, Analaithivu and Mullaithivu sea areas and they are likely to come again for fishing in these areas in case their trawlers are released.
Thus they requested that in terms of the Fisheries (Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats) Act 59 of 1979 the owners or the representatives of such vessels shall be prosecuted and the Indian fishers currently in the custody of SriLanka shall be released but, no fishing vessel neither at present nor in future shall be released until the illegal trawling of Indian fishers on SriLankan waters is permanently terminated.
