PM tells Parliament Indo-Lanka fishing issue will be resolved soon

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The Government has expedited the process to reach a permanent solution for the Indian fishermen illegally engaging in bottom trawling in the Northern and Eastern waters of Sri Lanka. According to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, both Governments are already engaged in finding a solution for some time and would reach a conclusion before the end of this year.

 Responding to Chief Opposition Whip, JVP MP Anura Dissanayake during the period allocated for “Ask the Prime Minister”, he said: “Our Minister of Foreign Affairs has taken this matter up with his counterpart in India. In addition, the SL Navy along with the Indian Navy and their coast guard have discussed this issue at their annual conferences. The proposed discussions between the two countries are scheduled to take place this month. All these discussions will provide an important basis for this issue. The Industrial Bottom Trawling Prohibition Bill passed in this House will be published in the Gazette soon.”

 Rejecting the opposition allegation of allowing Indians an area or a time table to fish in Sri Lankan waters, the Prime Minister said: “No approval is given to fish in our waters. We are in the process of drafting some new laws. According to these laws we will be able to enforce a fine ranging from Rs.1 million to Rs.15 million on illegal fishing. With the Tamil Nadu election the discussion was delayed slightly. Now that there is a new fisheries minister in Tamil Nadu, we will expedite the discussion. India as well as Sri Lanka has come out with solutions for this. But bottom trawling should end. We need the agreement from local fishermen if these solutions are to be enforced.”

 With the war coming to an end, the number of Indian fishing trawlers encroaching in Sri Lankan waters for illegal bottom trawling has become a growing concern. According to the Sri Lanka Navy patrol boats and radar monitoring, an average of 1,000 Indian trawlers enter Sri Lankan seas from KKS to Kalpitya and KKS to Trincomalee daily.