Lankan fishermen protest Indian trawlers allegedly trespassing sea boundary

Fishermen in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula are protesting against Indian trawlers allegedly trespassing their sea boundary and taking up illegal fishing expeditions. Later, they staged a protest walk outside their camps in Vadamarachchi in Jaffna town. The protesters, mostly members of fishing cooperative societies, claimed the Indian fishermen were entering Lankan waters from the Vadamarachchi sector after the country's Navy had increased patrolling in the Mannar sea side.

Fishermen in Sri Lanka's northern Jaffna peninsula are protesting against Indian trawlers allegedly trespassing their sea boundary and taking up illegal fishing expeditions. The fishermen handed a communique to the Indian Consul General in Jaffna S Balachandran on Monday and requested immediate intervention. Later, they staged a protest walk outside their camps in Vadamarachchi in Jaffna town.

The protesters, mostly members of fishing cooperative societies, claimed the Indian fishermen were entering Lankan waters from the Vadamarachchi sector after the country's Navy had increased patrolling in the Mannar sea side. The fishermen said around 3,000 Indian trawlers were laying nets daily on their side, depriving the local people of their catch. The fishermen issue is a sensitive topic in India-Sri Lanka relations. It has been underlined that the Sri Lankan Government may consider the fishermen issue as a purely humanitarian and livelihood concern and both sides should ensure that there was no use of force under any circumstances.

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