Fishing licenses of local vessels deliberately disabling VMS to be suspended?

A high-level meeting on combating illegal fishing activities was convened at the Parliament Complex, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The meeting held yesterday (17) was jointly chaired by the Minister of Justice and National Integration, Harshana Nanayakkara, the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd.) Aruna Jayasekara, and the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Rathna Gamage. 

The meeting served as a continuation of ongoing high-level discussions on the subject, the statement said.

Deliberations focused on strengthening preventive measures, enhancing law enforcement actions, and improving inter-agency cooperation to effectively counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, as well as other illicit operations at sea.

Key issues highlighted during the meeting included poaching by both local and foreign fishing vessels, the practice of bottom trawling, which causes significant environmental destruction, the unauthorized use of radio frequencies, and non-fishing activities such as smuggling carried out under the guise of fishing operations.

Special emphasis was placed on suspending the fishing licenses of local vessels that deliberately disable their Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) in order to engage in unlawful fishing practices and illegal diving activities, the statement noted.

The meeting also underscored the importance of implementing robust measures to prevent further violations and to safeguard Sri Lanka’s marine and aquatic resources.

The session brought together Members of Parliament and senior officials from various departments to provide a comprehensive review of enforcement and surveillance mechanisms, including the Sri Lanka Navy and Police, the Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, the Department of Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resources Management, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) and Sri Lanka Customs.

The meeting reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to safeguarding maritime security, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and promoting the sustainable management of the nation’s aquatic resources, the Ministry of Defence added.