Tamil Nadu fishermen upset over Lankan Supreme Court order

Jaffna, Mannar, Killinochi, Vavuniya and Mulliaitivu fishermen’s cooperatives had contended in the court that if Indian fishermen  were booked under the 1979 Fisheries Foreign Vessels Act, it would mean their boats would be released only when owners turned up with relevant ownership documents. They also submitted that sending poachers to judicial custody for 90 days (maximum) under a simpler act would be less effective.

That Sri Lanka views poaching seriously was evident when Sri Lanka Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraveera, recently ordered the seizure of Indian boats to be handed over to local fishermen through a court nationalisation move. 

Meanwhile, Rameswaram fishermen’s cooperative society president N. Devadoss told DT Next that the arrest of fishermen and seizure of boats have led to problems within fishermen’s families who are deprived of livelihood. 

Tamil Nadu Visai Padagu Meenavar Sangam president NJ Bose said earlier when BJP was in power at the Centre, 108 boats were seized and now 66 boats have been taken into custody. The association’s Ramnad district secretary E. Jesuraja said if the government failed to tackle the latest move by the Lankan SC, then Tamil Nadu fishermen would agitate against the Centre.