Fishermen talks on March 5

The State government on Tuesday proposed to the Centre that the third round of talks between the fishermen of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka be held held here on March 5.


The first and second rounds of talks were held at Chennai and Colombo on January 27 and May 12, 2014 respectively following the initiative taken by former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.


Tamil Nadu Fisheries Secretary S Vijayakumar, in his letter to Suchitra Durai, Joint Secretary (SM and IOR), Ministry of External Affairs, requested her to obtain clearance from the Centre at the earliest for conducting the proposed talks here. He also said the list of participants from the Sri Lankan side should be communicated to the Tamil Nadu government after due approval from the Centre. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister and Fisheries Secretary, Commissioner of Fisheries and other department officials would be participating as observers in the proposed talks.


The Fisheries Secretary pointed out that the talks should be held without prejudice and must not in any way compromise the stand already taken by Tamil Nadu government in the writ petition filed before the SC regarding India’s territorial sovereignty over Katchatheevu.


The delegation of 13 fishermen from Tamil Nadu which took part in the last two rounds would be participating in the third round as well. The Puducherry government too would be requested to send their fishermen nominees and officials for the proposed talks.


Among other issues, ways and means to speedily and smoothly facilitate the repatriation of Indian fishermen and their boats would be discussed during the talks.


The agenda include reiterating the traditional fishing rights of TN fishermen to fish in their traditional  waters of Palk Bay irrespective of any artificially drawn boundaries with mutual harmony on either side. The commitment made in the previous discussion to thoroughly abjure violent attacks on our fishermen on the high seas by Lankan Navy and to desist from unfriendly acts like abduction, detention, long periods of incarceration of TN fishermen in Lankan jails and stopping confiscation of their boats and fishing equipment by Lankan authorities would also be reiterated during the talks. (Indian Express)