Sri Lanka holds high-level talks to tackle illegal fishing, poaching and drug trafficking

A high-level meeting was held at the Sri Lankan Parliament on Tuesday (November 11) to review and strengthen strategies aimed at stopping illegal fishing and poaching activities in the country’s territorial waters.

The session was co-chaired by Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources Ramalingam Chandrasekar, Minister of Justice and National Integration Harshana Nanayakkara, and Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).

During the discussion, officials examined key challenges such as poaching by both local and foreign fishing vessels, the delay in court proceedings involving seized boats, and the growing use of unauthorized radio frequencies. Concerns were also raised about non-fishing activities such as smuggling being conducted under the guise of fishing operations.

Special focus was given to cases where local fishing vessels intentionally disable their Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to carry out illegal fishing or operate in restricted zones. The participants stressed the need for stronger maritime law enforcement, better coordination among agencies, and the adoption of advanced technology for real-time vessel tracking.

The meeting also underlined the importance of taking firm legal action against offenders to safeguard national fisheries resources and protect the livelihoods of legitimate fishermen.

The session was attended by Members of Parliament, the Secretaries of the Ministries of Defence and Fisheries, the Commander of the Navy, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Coast Guard, officials from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), the Police Narcotics Bureau, and other senior government representatives.

This meeting followed an earlier session on the same issue, reaffirming the government’s continued commitment to eliminating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related unlawful activities in Sri Lankan waters.