(COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka on Wednesday turned down a request from Tamil Nadu to allow its fishermen to operate in the island-nation’s territorial waters saying that foreigners will not be allowed under any circumstances.
Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda has informed the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister Anitha R. Radhakrishnan towards this end, a Fisheries ministry statement said.
Devananda has stressed that he was opposed to allowing Tamil Nadu fishermen access until a permanent solution, acceptable to both countries, could be reached.
Devananda said that his participation in talks to settle this issue would depend on an assurance given by the Tamil Nadu administration that poaching would be halted, pending an amicable settlement.
Devananda also called on the Navy to step up operations against poaching Indian vessels adding that he appreciated the chasing away of Indian trawlers that were poaching in Sri Lankan waters, over the weekend and the subsequent arrest of three trawlers, along with 22 persons.
With the latest apprehension, the Navy has arrested a total of 15 Indian trawlers and 110 Indian fishermen for poaching in Lankan waters from the start of this year.
Devananda has repeatedly said while thousands of Indian poachers raid the fish harvest in Sri Lankan waters on a near daily basis the local fishing community has been badly affected many of them returning home with empty nets.
Late last month enraged local fishermen from mainly Sri Lanka’s north had allegedly attacked the Indian poachers with rocks, sand filled bottles and other missiles escalating the tension between fish workers from both countries.
