Just after Tamil Nadu’s annual fishing ban ended in mid-June, Indian trawlers are back near Sri Lanka’s northern coast, ‘crushing’ the livelihoods of fishermen who are already strained ordeal during the island’s economic crisis, according to fishermen’s leaders in northern Sri Lanka.

“At least four of our fisherman’s nets, worth Rs 6.5 lakh [LKR], were damaged by Indian trawlers yesterday at Point Pedro. The economic crisis has already hit us hard, we don’t have enough kerosene for our boats. Now the return of the trawlers is crushing what is left of our livelihoods,” Annalingam Annarasa, head of the Federation of Fishermen‘s Cooperative Societies in Jaffna, said on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu’s annual fishing ban – to allow the breeding of marine organisms – which lasts nearly two months, usually provides respite for fishermen in northern Sri Lanka. Fishermen in Mannar, Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi could go fishing with more hope of a decent catch and without fear of their nets being damaged.

However, this year, fishermen in the northern coastal districts of the island hardly set sail during this period due to an acute shortage of kerosene, used by 90% of fishermen for their modest boats. “We get kerosene once every 12 or 14 days, and it’s only 20 liters per boat. Only about 20% of our fishermen have been able to go out to sea with it,” Mr. Annarasa said. The Hindu.

Sri Lanka’s crippling economic crisis has compounded the northern fishing community‘s old challenges of declining production and income, for which they mainly blame Indian trawlers from Tamil Nadu who fish illegally in Sri Lankan waters. -lankans. Their concern has persisted for more than a decade, but the problem is still unresolved.

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In a recent report by Mullaitivu, the local television channel Newsfirst showed visuals of Indian trawlers, captured off the northeast coast of Sri Lanka, indicating that the fishing vessels had largely entered Sri Lanka’s territorial waters around the Jaffna Peninsula. Although the Sri Lankan Navy periodically arrests Indian fishermen accused of “poaching”, it has not made any recent arrests due to diesel shortages which have limited its patrol units, the fishermen noted.

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Destructive method

For northern fishermen, it is the destructive fishing method of bottom trawling that is of greater concern than maritime borders. “We have already written to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. This method of fishing will destroy our marine resources and it will be a blow not only to our war-affected fishermen but also to the fishermen of Tamil Nadu in the long run,” Mr. Annarasa stressed.

Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen urge Chief Minister Stalin to find a progressive solution to the conflict

Furthermore, on Mr. Stalin’s recent request to the Center to reclaim Katchatheevu, a Sri Lankan island, he said it amounted to destroying “the lives and livelihoods of 50,000 families and 2 lakh people” in northern Sri Lanka. Indian fishermen usually came from far beyond Katchatheevu to reach the Sri Lankan coast, he observed, suggesting his “recovery” was hardly a solution to the long-simmering problem.

Meanwhile, stressing the need for bilateral talks to resolve the fisheries issue, Mr. Annarasa said: “We sought to meet with Mr. Stalin. We need to resume talks and find a permanent solution to this long-standing problem.

“Extremely thanking” the CM and the people of Tamil Nadu for the “timely assistance” given to the people of Sri Lanka, he added, “Finding a solution to the problem of fishing, which affects 50,000 families and 2 lakh people, will only strengthen our relationship.