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| Thursday, 30 September 2004 |
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by P. Krishnaswamy A two member delegation of the South Indian Federation of Fishermen's Societies (SIFFS) is now in North on a goodwill mission in the wake of agitation by the district's fisherfolk against the Indian fishermen's incessant encroachments into their territorial fishing grounds. The Mannar fishermen have proposed a hunger strike in protest against the Indian fishermen's encroachments and their atrocities, including the destruction of their fishing nets. General Manager of the Mannar Fishermen's Union, Benedict Leon, and Secretary of the Point Pedro Fishermen's Association, K. Suriyakumaran, told the Daily News that poaching by the Indian fishermen in the Sri Lankan fishing waters had continued in spite of an agreement reached in Colombo in May this year between representatives of the fishing communities of the two countries. The Indian delegation had agreed not to use trawlers, fishing nets and fishing methods that depleted fish and prawn stocks. Both sides also agreed to keep away a three mile distance from the boundary of the territorial waters of the other, they said, adding that, this agreement was not honoured by their Indian counterparts. Member of the SIFFS delegation U. Arulanandam which represents fishermen's associations of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh said that they were here for a second round of talks and had proposed the visit of a ten member delegation of the Northern fishermen's associations to India for meetings with their Indian counterparts in an effort to make them understand the grave situation being faced by the Sri Lankan fishermen. Admitting that some of the Indian fishermen had violated the previous agreement he said his organisation desired this problem being settled between the fishing communities of the two countries instead of making it an issue for the governments of the two countries. The delegation will be here for a few more days and would be visiting Jaffna as well. |
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