Indian fishermen issue: Preventive measures for sustainable solution – President
Preventive measures are necessary to find a sustainable solution for the issue of Indian fishermen entering Sri Lankan waters, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a meeting with the editors of government and private media institutes of Sri Lanka, held today (22) at Temple Trees.
He highlighted the need for cooperation from both Indian and Lankan fishermen to resolve this issue and called for more contact between
them.
Minister of External Affairs G L Peiris joining the discussion agreed that preventive measures will help find permanent solutions rather than responsive action.
He also said this was discussed with Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao when she visited Sri Lanka earlier this month.
President Rajapaksa stressed the need for the Joint Working Group which was set up to resolve this issue to meet as soon as possible to obtain fruitful results as it had not held a meeting for the last five years.
President added that this fishermen’s problem is an old issue running back in time due to the proximity of the two countries.
Responding to questions about reports in the Indian media and other sources that fishermen had been killed by Sri Lankan Navy, the President emphasized that such an incident did not take place.
Minister Peiris added that satellite images showed that Sri Lankan Navy vessels were nowhere near the place where the alleged incidents took place.
Courtesy: Government News Portal
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All fishing trawlers, whether Sri Lankan or Indian, should be equipped with GPS, VHS and other reliable modern navigation systems. If the fishermen are too poor for this investment, then the governments of the respective countries should provide a loan as well as arrange for them to be fitted to the trawlers by a reputed firm who provides such equipment under guarantee. It is also eqally important that all fishermen with such technology be very well trained in the use of such equipment in navigating the seas. With this equipment in position the fishermen will be made well aware of the maritme boundaries which should not be crossed. There should also be on board an alarm system attached to the navigation equipment to alert audibly if the maritime boundary is crossed, which can easily hgappen in stormy weather.
Currently, political leaders are beating their heads for a solution when the solution is so simple, in this era of modern electronic technology. All it takes is legislature to make it compulsory for fishing trawlers to be equipped with GPS and other electronic navigation systems as well as radio communication equipment, as in the West.
However, the problems remains with small fishing boats which set sail for a daily catch in the Palk Strait. They cannot be equipped with sophisticated navigation systems. They have to be regularised by limitting the distance they can sail. They can also stay within the correct maritime boundary by observing the larger SL or Indian trawlers with navigation equipment who stay within the Sri Lankan or Indian boundary. The trawlers should be ordered to fly their respective country’s flags/ensigns, and be painted by two different common colours, one for Indian trawlers and another for Sri Lankan trawlers, to distinguish Indian and Sri Lankan fishing trawlers.
Katchchativu island is indisputably SL territory from ancient times as poven even from Dutch Thombu (records). The evidence was provided by the Sirimao Government of the day when this dispute originally arose. My father, who was a historian and genealogist, provided the SL government with concrete evidence from historical records that Kachchativu is SL territory. Indira Gandhi government accepted the indisputable evidence then. It is no longer a matter for dispute but Tamil Nadu nationalist politicians raise the issue whenever local elections are in the offing. We should staunchly defend our territorial rights.
Sri Lanka cannot afford the sophisticated equipment, resources and ongoing support recommended by Nicholas Dias. If monies are vailable, they will be better spent if it is used to improve road user management where SL is losing approximately 30 persons per week in accidents.
Relationship with India is rapidly deteriorating. Sl used India to achieve it socio-political ends and now, having no further beneficial use, SL is adopting the “Condom” principle (use once and throw away after use) in dealing with India.
The relationship SL had with India since 2005/06 was not based on honesty, transparency or good neighborliness. The forthcomimg Wikileaks revelations on Swiss Bank accounts are bound to reveal the wealth accumulation behaviours of politico-dynastic families in the Sub-continent. The domino effect on aging dynasties in the Middle East is likely to be replicated in the Sub Continent shortly, as a result of forthcoming Wikileaks revelations.
Nothing is impossible if you set your heart and mind to it. Some said it is impossible to defeat the LTTE, but they were totally vanquished.
Obviously JS is an Indiaphile supporting India. SL has good relations with India and support each other. JS is way off the mark for criticising SL as using India for own ends. In fact, it has often been the other way around. JS is probably unaware that it was Indira G of India who trained, funded, armed and released the then nascent LTTE as a vicious terrorist group on SL with the help of RAW, to create havoc in SL for 30 long years, until valliant MR and GR put a thitha to it with the help of our heroic defence forces.
SL fishing industries have to be developed to catch up with the fishing industries of the developed world. We have to develop in all spheres. Agricultural and industrial development are only two aspects. Fishing is another industry that has to be developed now. We have rich fishing grounds around our island with its extended territorial waters of 100 miles. We are now have the skilland technology to build ships for other countries. Now is the best time to build trawlers for deep sea fishing with sophisticated GPS navigating systems etc. The income generated by the fishing industry will pay for the initial investment. There are rich businessmen in SL and also foreign investors who can invest in the fishing industry to develop it. We can also harness the resources of the West to help develop our fishing industry. Currently, countries like Japan with their multi-day deep sea trawlers are able to encroach our territorial waters to steal our fish stocks with no one to stop it. Surely, our navy could now be tasked with the responsiblity of patrolling and safeguarding our territotial waters from such encroachment.
Our fishermen in the North, East and the South could now be trained and gainfully employed in multi-day trawler fishing, with better income generating prospects, to better their lives. They cannot be stuck in small scale fishing forever in small boats. They have to progress with the help of rich businessmen who have the capital to invest in trawler fishing as in the developed countries. It is a rich industry, better than chicken, goats, pigs and cattle farming. You do not have to breed the fish. It is there for the taking. We cannot allow other countries to plunder our fish stock in our territorial waters. Isn’t it time the Fisheries Ministry think along these lines and be pro-active to develop our fishing industry?