Sri Lanka and India will hold the third round of ministerial-level talks on the fishermen issue of in Colombo this week to resolve the nagging dispute.

The third round of the series of discussions conducted by the Joint Working Group on Fisheries set up by the Sri Lanka and Indian government to find a lasting solution to the fisheries problems will be held in Colombo on Friday, the Minister of Fishers and Aquatic Resources Development Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in India, Minister Radha Mohan Singh will lead a delegation at the meeting representing the Indian side while Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Secretary to the Ministry Mangalika Adhikari, Director General of Fisheries Christy Lal Fernando and several provincial ministers in charge of fishing subjects will be participating in the discussion representing Sri Lanka. Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran will also be a member of the Sri Lankan delegation.

Minister Amaraweera said that the aim of the meeting is to find a lasting solution to the present fishing crisis. The Minister will have a prior meeting with a group of representatives of fishing community in the North tomorrow at the Ministry. Several members of Tamil fishing community from the north will participate in the meeting.

At the first round of ministerial level talks held in November 2016 in New Delhi, the two sides agreed for a Joint Working Group on Fisheries to meet every three months and a meeting between the Ministers for Fisheries every six months.

SL releases 38 Tamil Nadu poachers

By Shanika Sriyananda

The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has handed over 38 Tamil Nadu poachers, who were in custody for illegally fishing in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, to Indian Coast Guards last afternoon.

Those who were arrested by the SLN on 21 March and 12 Tamil Nadu poachers who were arrested on 25 March were among those who were released yesterday.

The SLN Spokesman Captain Chaminda Walakuluge confirmed that the poachers were handed over to the Indian Coast Guard ship Ayush last afternoon at the International Maritime Boundary Line, north of Kankasanthurai.

According to the SLN Spokesman, this is the fourth occasion this year that Tamil Nadu poachers who were taken into custody for violating the IMBL while engaging in illegal fishing were released from custody.

In the three previous releases, 51 Indian poachers were released on 10 January and also 85 and eight Tamil Nadu poachers in custody were released during the last two months.

“The SLN will continue to arrest those who illegally enter the country’s territorial waters,” he said.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Mahinda Amaraweera said that the Ministry had given tough directives to arrest all those who violate the IMBL law.

“This is not anything against India but to protect the country from any external threat,” he told Daily FT.

The Minister said that the Government, according to a policy decision taken recently, would not keep the fishermen in custody for a long period but their fishing gear including the vessels used in bottom trawling would not be released without the consent of the local fishing organisations.

“We will be meeting the northern fishing delegation today and will decide whether to release the Indian trawlers or not,” he said.