More Indian trawlers have been allegedly fishing near the northern coastline of Sri Lanka over the past two weeks, Jaffna-based fisher leaders have told The Hindu.

The fishermen from both sides got into a tussle at sea recently, after the nets of those from the northern region of the island nation were damaged, the report by The Hindu said. “There was a major problem in Vadamarachchi a couple of days ago when our nets had been damaged by the Indian trawlers,” said Josephpillai Sinthathurai, a fisherman based in Madagal in northern Jaffna.

“Earlier, the [Sri Lankan] Navy took action promptly, but now they seem reluctant to arrest Indian fishermen who are poaching,” he said. When contacted, Navy spokesperson Kosala Warnakulasooriya told that the Navy “received no such complaint from the fishermen.”

In the past few days, northern fishermen suffered damages ranging from Sri Lankan rupees 75,000 to 1 lakh, Sinthathurai was reported in The Hindu as saying. “Most of us have already borrowed heavily to make ends meet. With the unceasing problem of Indian trawlers poaching in our waters, our livelihoods have been badly hit,” he said.

The fisherfolk are helpless as the Navy is silent, says Nataraja Rathnaraja, a fisher cooperative leader in Mayilitythurai in the Jaffna peninsula.

Fishermen attributed the Navy’s “inaction” to the high-level bilateral visits coming up in the two countries. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is scheduled to visit India from February 15 to 17, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Sri Lanka in mid-March. The Sri Lankan side is also working on releasing the 87 Indian trawlers in its custody. The trawlers are expected to be released in the coming week, ahead of the President’s visit.

Furthermore, The Hindu, citing “officials in decision-making circles in Colombo” said that Sri Lanka would be lenient on Indian fishermen found poaching, considering the upcoming high-level visits aimed at improving relations between India and Sri Lanka. No official complaint about Indian trawlers fishing in Sri Lankan waters has so far been made to the Indian High Commission in Colombo.
(with inputs from The Hindu)