Chennai
Country boats usually ply their trade with four or five fishermen, but the two boats apprehended by the island nation’s Navy had nine fishermen each. Pictures in the media also show fishermen trying to gauge the damage to their nets which were cut by Naval personnel.
The nets have a thick outer rope, indicative of purse seine netting, both of which are banned by the central government. The purse seine net is more dangerous as it is used for bottom trawling where the net held by two (a pair) boats some distance apart dragging the net on the ocean floor thereby catching all fish which have no escape.
“The seized country two boats were not only some distance apart but also allegedly used such nets,” official sources said. Till this incident, country boat fishermen were usually ignored by SL Navy even if they were found fishing near Katchatheevu as the Navy’s focus was on similar fishing methods used by mechanised trawlers.
But the incident has now shifted focus on these boaters also, according to local fishermen. “In future, there is every possibility of country boats also being attacked and their nets being damaged by Sri Lankan navy,” officials said.
But this also raises another pertinent question as to how the fisheries department which issues tokens to these boats allows them to carry the banned nets. In fact, a few days ago, a fishermen’s organisation had demanded action against fisheries department officials who “turned a blind eye” to such goings on.
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