India - Sri Lanka: Fishing Disputes in Palk Bay
Not reported in the national media, 4 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were killed two weeks ago, allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy. A strong protest has been lodged by India. Such incidents keep happening in the Palk Bay area and are on account of unresolved fisheries disputes.
It was less than a month ago that the two countries resumed discussions through their Joint Working Group of fisheries after a three-year gap. India sought the early release of fishermen arrested in Sri Lankan waters, as well as the boats in Sri Lankan custody. Sri Lanka underscored the need to curb the illegal fishing in their waters. A joint working group some years ago, had agreed that there would be no violence or loss of life in the handling of the fishermen and that a hotline would be established between the respective Coast Guards. The hotline is yet to be operationalised, and deaths continue to occur.
“The plan to wean away Tamil Nadu fishermen from the tendency to exploit the remaining fishery resources on the Sri Lankan side by replacing their trawlers with deep sea fishing vessels has not really taken off,” writes The Hindu. “Political leaders in Tamil Nadu rarely acknowledge that the State’s fishermen contribute immensely to the problem by crossing territorial waters. Nor is there sufficient recognition that the incursion into Sri Lankan waters is driven by trawler owners who force their poor employees to do so, who then get killed or arrested, leading to the festering conflict. So far there has not been enough political resolve to end this conflict. A comprehensive solution, one that would severely curtail unauthorised fishing and help in an orderly sharing of and sustainable use of resources by fishermen from both sides, is long overdue.”
