Long-festering drawback ‘a threat’ to the 2 Tamil communities’ traditionally sturdy relationship
Long-festering drawback ‘a threat’ to the 2 Tamil communities’ traditionally sturdy relationship
Reaching out on to the Tamil Nadu political management for the primary time, Sri Lankan fishermen have urged Chief Minister M.Ok. Stalin to give you a “progressive” answer to the fisheries battle that impacts fisherfolk in Tamil Nadu and war-hit northern Sri Lanka, and “threatens the historically strong relationship” shared by the 2 Tamil communities.
In an announcement addressed to Mr. Stalin dated March 5, leaders of fishermen’s associations throughout the northern districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, outlined the challenges confronted by the neighborhood by means of the years of the civil battle and within the post-war section, starting 2009.
“During the war, we were displaced to other districts within the country as well as to south India, losing our loved ones and property,” the representatives stated, whereas thanking Tamil Nadu for offering assist and shelter to scores of people that fled the violence. Nearly two lakh individuals from Sri Lanka’s Tamil-majority Northern Province, whose lives rely upon the fisheries sector, are struggling to rebuild their livelihoods within the post-war years amid a number of challenges. Drastically falling incomes and the burden of debt are “forcing” the youthful era “to abandon fisheries”, they famous.
Trawler hassle
The predominant cause for his or her dire socio-economic plight, the Sri Lankan fishermen stated, have been backside trawlers originating from Tamil Nadu. They have been referring to the massive, mechanised boats that Tamil Nadu fishermen use within the slim Palk Strait separating Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka, to fish utilizing the “bottom trawling” technique.
The fishermen on these boats sometimes drag massive fishing nets alongside the seabed, concentrating on an enormous amount of fish and prawns. But the approach, extensively deemed damaging, additionally kills different marine organisms, together with larvae, child fish or fry, and sea vegetation, severely impacting marine biodiversity over time.
The fishing technique causes “colossal damage” to marine assets, lowering the manufacturing for our small-scale fishermen, each in northern Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu, they identified. The backside trawlers “encroach into our borders and destroy our nets in the sea, causing us immense property loss,” the Sri Lankan fishermen stated, including that they prevented going to sea on days the trawlers got here, fearing losses.
‘Affects relationship’
Further, the Sri Lankan fisher leaders expressed concern that the unresolved drawback of Tamil Nadu fishermen fishing in Sri Lankan waters utilizing a harmful observe, encountering frequent arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy, affected the “historical relationship” between Tamil Nadu fishermen and northern Sri Lankan fishermen.
The Hindu Explains: What is the Palk Bay fisheries battle?
Several makes an attempt at dialogue amongst fisher leaders from each side, between 2004 to 2016, had proved futile, as there was “no political will” on the Central and State degree in India to ban the underside trawling technique, the “only solution” to the issue, in response to fisher leaders A. Annarasa, Joseph Francis and M. Johnson.
Thanking Chief Minister Stalin for the current welfare programme for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees dwelling in Tamil Nadu, the fisher leaders requested him to take up the difficulty of the northern Sri Lankan fishing neighborhood affected by Tamil Nadu trawlers and resolve the long-festering drawback with a “progressive vision”.