SL to consider releasing Indian vessels

By Shanika Sriyananda

The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is to consider releasing some of the Indian trawlers in custody for poaching in the country’s territorial waters in 2015, after meeting the fishermen delegation from the north this week.

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said there was a request from fishermen organisations in the north to release Indian trawlers and it would be considered at the meeting with their representatives to be held in Colombo on Wednesday.

“We will release those vessels after considering the request from the northern fishermen on Wednesday,” the Minister told Daily FT.

According to Minister Amaraweera, there are 130 Indian trawlers in custody for poaching in Sri Lankan waters and 43 were seized in 2015.

“If we have decided to release the trawlers, the Government needs assurance from the Indian Government that those released vessels would not be re-engaged in poaching in our waters,” he said. However, earlier the Government has decided not to release any vessels belong to Indian fishermen as the released vessels were used again for poaching in the Lankan waters.

At a previous meeting held with Minister Amaraweera, the northern fishermen representatives had requested the Minister to not to release the trawlers as they would come back for fishing in Talai Mannar, Delft, Nainathivu, Analaithivu and Mullaitivu, which have been already destroyed due to heavy trawling by the Indian fishermen.

Meanwhile, an Indian Fisheries Ministry delegation will arrive in the country this week to meet their Sri Lankan counterparts to discuss the progress made in the commitments spelled out at the Joint Working Group meeting held early this year.

The Minister said they would review the some of the areas agreed mutually by both parties at the meeting scheduled to be held on 7 April in Colombo.