Northern fisherfolk staged a mass protest in Jaffna on Friday against the intrusion of Indian fishing trawlers into the Northern waters depriving the fisherfolk of their livelihood.
A large number of Jaffna fishermen holding banners and placards chanted slogans condemning the intrusion of Indian fishing boats into the fishing areas in the North. The protest was staged outside the office of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Friday. Later, the protestors handed over a Memorandum to officials of the Department calling upon the Government and the Indian authorities to prevent the intrusion of Indian fishing trawlers into Sri Lankan waters.
The protestors also said that an Indian trawler had damaged a fishing vessel of a fisherman of Kurunagar, a few days ago in the Northern waters.
According to Jaffna fishermen, the Indian fishermen infiltrate the Northern waters from the Mannar sea covering the entire Jaffna Peninsula and going to the extent of the Mullaitivu sea area.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Douglas Devananda during his meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla last week in Colombo had explained in detail about Indian fishing vessels entering Sri Lankan waters in the North depriving the fisherfolk of their livelihood.
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Douglas Devananda also brought to the notice of the Indian Foreign Secretary that due to the intrusion of the Indian fishing vessels, Northern fisherfolk faced a loss of nearly Rs 500 million due to the damage incurred to their fishing vessels and nets.
Minister Devananda also said that in September last year during his visit to India with Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, he had briefed the Indian officials on Indian fishing vessels intruding into the Northern waters of Sri Lanka and causing extensive damage to the livelihood of the fisherfolk.
He also called upon the Indian Foreign Secretary to expedite the process to stop Indian fishing vessels from entering the Northern waters crossing the International Maritime Border Line between India and Sri Lanka.