Select envoys in SL get barrage of postcards asking to boycott Indian seafood

Diplomatic missions of European Union, the US and Australia have recently receive a barrage of postcards by Lankan fishing communities requesting to boycott Indian seafood.

Postcards with messages of concern and impact on their livelihood also asked these Missions to take up the growing menace of poaching to Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen to the UN Human Rights Commission.

For example, the postcard to the US Ambassador stated: “You are the largest single importer of Indian seafood and you are not telling India to stop. The question why don’t the Indian Navy and Coast Guard do more to stop the boats from entering,” signed by Shenika Fernando of Chilaw.

Another postcard from W.P.H. Fernando of Lunuwila to the Australian High Commissioner said: “The Tamil Nadu large scale trawlers are destroying our country’s northern people’s livelihood. Your government has invested into the north. what happens when there is no more seafood. you have more economic refugees looking to come to Australia.”

A spokesman for Lankan fishing community said Indian poaching is no longer a bilateral issue but international given the fact that Indian seafood sourced via illegal fishing is consumed by the world.  

It was also pointed out that Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing should result in an EU red card to India and similar actions by the US. The spokesman said that India should immediately use its Navy and Coast Guard to prevent their fishermen from poaching into Lankan waters.