Detain Indian vessels until Tamil Nadu trawler issue is sorted out, Northern fisherman request Minister  

The Tamil Nadu (TN) trawlers illegally fishing in Sri Lankan maritime waters have become a life threatening issue to Northern fishing communities.   
Tamil Nadu fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters have been a decades-long conflict between two fishing communities. SL Navy has been arresting Tamil Nadu fishermen and vessels, while India has been arresting Sri Lankan fishermen. Yet, neither of the Governments is interested in finding a successful solution to this issue, as it seems.   
The bilateral talks held in December 30 and 31st of 2016 in Delhi India and January 2017 in Colombo - Sri Lanka, between Indian Agriculture Minister - Union Governments and Sri Lankan Fisheries minister the trawling issue has not been addressed successfully.  
“In both meetings Sri Lankan fisherman’s position was not compromised by Sri Lankan delegation” fishing community leaders said.   
After the first round of talks the trawling issue was reduced a bit and after the second round, illegal trawling had increased again as if they have taken it for granted. Despite the talks, TN fish workers as they called themselves, were coming. Since the last negotiation Sri Lankan Navy had caught 61 TN fish workers, some of them had been released while some have been retained. The illegal vessels are increasing in numbers as they were found to be 125 recently. TN fishing trawlers would destroy Sri Lanka’s marine resources off the coast of Talaimannar, Delft, Nainathivu, Alanaithivu, Eluvathivu and Mullaithivu.  

And Sri Lankan governments about northern fishing community’s livelihood and the Sri Lankan sovereignty in Palk Strait, the Tamil Nadu trawler owners are still sending their vessels in to the area by crossing International Maritime Border line (IMBL). They are coming on specific three - day a week, on which northern fishing community step aside because poachers damage  fisherman’s fishing gear and sometimes take them away.   
Northern fishing communities warn that this would complicate the issue further.  
“Tamil Nadu trawler owners do not accept they are sending their vessels illegally and we have caught them in action and provided the evidence,” one fisherman said.  
The Sri Lankan fishing community did not go fishing in this northern area because in the past years, as there was a war going on in the region and they did not have enough boats and fishing gear.   
Fishing in these areas had been banned for Sri Lankans by Sri Lankan authorities. As the situation remained so the TN fishermen came and got the harvest belonging to Sri Lankan fishermen.   
“The President had informed the Navy to catch illegal trawlers in northern seas, we are grateful of that; yet the Navy doesn’t have facilities to arrest those huge trawlers. Even though the Navy is given power, they can only do minor arrests.   
The Mullathivu fishing community leader Mariyarasa said that the great prawn season has started in Mullathivu yet Tamil Nadu trawlers stride and steal the harvest.   
“Sri Lanka is considered a best quality prawn found area in the world. Why cannot we harvest the prawn that lies in our fishing waters? he questions.  
“our problems are not addressed because we are a minor community in the North. If it was a issue in South, the responsible people would have taken quick action to solve these issues. And if the south needs our help, we are always ready to support,” they said. 

Request from northern fishing community to Fisheries Minister

1. Arrest, charge, prosecute – and if guilty - fine or imprison Tamil Nadu boat owners or their agents under the Regulation (Foreign Fishing Vessel Act) 1979 
2. Immediately release and repatriate Tamil Nadu fishworkers on board the vessels and any detained previously under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act of 1941 
3. Refuse to release any Tamil Nadu trawler arrested and detained by the Sri Lankan authorities until Tamil Nadu trawler owners stop sending their vessels to fish illegally in the fishing grounds of northern Sri Lankan fishermen 
District heads of Fishermen’s Co-operative Society Union’s federation of Jaffna, Mullathivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar had signed this petition they had sent to the fisheries minister on behalf of the northern fishing community. They request a solution from both parties.   

What is bottom trawling?

Bottom trawling is done with a huge net and a scraper attached to it that is designed to scrape everything, and scraping every single species, corals and entire sea bed. More than 100 species are thrown back to the sea after bottom trawling. Scientists consider this as the most destructive fishing gear in history.   
According to the European Commission - “Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats, distorts competition, puts honest fishers at an unfair disadvantage, and weakens coastal communities, particularly in developing countries.”(www.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/illegal_fishing_en)  

Fishing Act  59 of 1979

According to the fishing act, Part II includes - CONTROL OVER FISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES BY FOREIGN FISHING BOATS IN SRI LANKA WATERS

4. Prohibition of fishing and related activities by Foreign Fishing Boats.
Subject to the provisions of section 12, no Foreign Fishing Boat shall be used for fishing or related activities in Sri Lanka waters except under the authority of a permit issued under section 6.
5. Foreign Fishing Boats entering Sri Lanka waters without a permit to stow gear.
Where any Foreign Fishing Boat enters Sri Lanka waters otherwise than under the authority of a permit issued under section 6, the fishing gear of such boat shall, at all times while it is in such waters, be kept stowed in the prescribed manner.
6. Foreign Fishing Boat permit.
(1) The Secretary or any person specially authorised by him may, with the approval of the Minister, on application made therefore and payment of the prescribed fee issue a permit in respect of any Foreign Fishing Boat, authorising that boat to be used for such fishing and related activities, in such area or areas of Sri Lanka waters, and during such periods, as may be specified in the permit. Every such permit shall be in the prescribed form.
(2) Every application for a permit shall be made to the Secretary in the prescribed form and shall contain the prescribed particulars.

It was peaceful before Indian trawling

Dr H.S.S.K Haputhantri - Head of Marine Biological Resources Division - NARA

“We have a plan to carry out a survey to identify the type of impact on sea bottom and habitats done by Indian fishing trawlers. But as their catch is not landed in our area, it is difficult to have measurements.” he said.   
He also noted that not only Tamil Nadu fishing community were engaged in trawling in our northern sea, but also Sri Lankan fishermen; but the destruction is not massive compared to Indian bottom trawlers.   
Opining on the environmental impact of trawling in sea, he said; “All the habitats and the diversity is destroyed. Especially, coral reefs that provide home to many species and sea grass will be eradicated by trawling and the sea grass is crucial to the endemic species like Dugong. Environment destruction also affects Whales, Turtles and Dolphins (in Mannar). Long term effects are much more common in this kind of situations.   
He noted that collected data on bottom trawling in 2016, is being analysed now, and from several months, the data will be out and he emphasised that still they could have only the Sri Lankan side, not Indian side.   
“We are planning to carry out an underwater survey on sea bottom to see the scale of destruction has happened.” he exclaimed.   
It is said that Indian and Sri Lankan fishing communities fished peacefully in north sea until the TN fisherman began using the harmful trawling to catch fish after finding prawns and shrimp are highly marketable. Sri Lankan fisherman still use their traditional fishing gear and they are unable to have profits, not even catch a proper harvest because of profit loving and highly unsustainable minded TN counterparts. With the damage done to the marine environment by bottom trawling, they fear the existence of next generation of marine life and their own occupied in fishing.