The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday permitted to name the Foreign Ministry as a respondent to a Fundamental Rights petition that has been filed against the illegal bottom trawling activities carried out by South Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan territorial waters beyond the northern part of the island.
The petition has been filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) together with several fishermen representing the Jaffna and Mannar areas.
They have named the Fisheries Minister, Defence Secretary, Navy and Air Force Commanders, Inspector General of Police and several other parties as respondents to the petition.
When the petition was considered before Justices Vijith Malalgoda, PC (Acting Chief Justice), Gamini Amarasekara and Achala Wengappuli yesterday, Deputy Solicitor General Ganga Wakishtaarachchi, appearing for the Attorney General, pointed out the necessity to study the Maritime Boundary Agreements signed between India and Sri Lanka, copies of which are in the Foreign Ministry.
Accordingly, Attorney-at-Law Dr. Ravindranath Dabare appearing for the petitioners requested the court to name the Foreign Ministry as a respondent to the petition and the Court permitted.
It has been indicated by the petitioners that nearly 50,000 local fishermen have been severely affected due to the illegal conduct of their Indian counterparts and has caused a loss of around Rs. 4 billion to Rs. 7 billion annually to the Sri Lankan economy, in addition to the damage caused to the marine environment and aquatic resources.
The petitioners through this petition seek orders from the Supreme Court to prevent the Indian fishermen engaging in illegal fishing in the local territorial waters and to direct the Sri Lanka Air Force to preventing illegal incursions by Indian trawlers into Sri Lankan waters.
The petition was fixed for consideration again on August 5.
Lahiru Fernando