India-Sri Lanka fishermen reach common ground: media report

RAMANATHAPURAM: The consensus reached at the recent negotiation between the fishermen of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu to find a solution to problems over trans-border fishing has been widely acknowledged by the fishermen of Rameswaram.

As per the agreement, which needs to be ratified by the governments of India and Sri Lanka, the Rameswaram fishermen can engage in fishing till three nautical miles from Talaimannar-Mannar in Palk Bay.

The fishermen of Pudukottai, Thanjavur and Nagapattinam will be allowed to fish in three nautical mile (9 km) from the India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary line in Palk Straits. The fishermen of Tuticorin, Mandapam, Pamban and Kanyakumari can venture up to 5 nautical miles from the International Maritime Boundary Line in the Gulf of Mannar.

They will be allowed to fish on all Wednesdays and Saturdays except during the moratorium on fishing. As against the 70 trips per year demanded by the Tamil Nadu fishermen, they can carry out 68 trips. The duration of actual fishing hour is 12 hours between 4 pm to 4 am.

Double trawler nets should not be used at all. The practice of fishing by trawl net will not be allowed after a year from the date of enforcement of agreement. A cross section of fishermen feel that though they were a bit disappointed over the restriction in timing and number of days of fishing, it has many positive aspects to solve the problems faced by the Tamil Nadu fishermen.

U. Arulanandam, State representative, Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF), claimed that that the agreement had enabled the fishermen to enjoy the traditional waters used by them for so long. It meant that the mechanised boat fishermen of Rameswaram could go up to about 45 km from the IMBL line in Mannar except the fringe areas. They could go except Pala theevu and Iraniya theevu, which were far beyond Kachachatheevu.

“Except a few restrictions, the fishermen feel happy. Both governments should be proactive in giving binding mechanism to the agreement so as to make it a permanent solution,” he said. – (The Hindu)