Colombo (AsiaNews) - The governments of Sri Lanka and India have begun important talks to resolve a decade-old fishery crisis, which includes cross border fishing and the systematic detention of fishermen by the "invaded" country.
The first result came on Wednesday, when New Delhi and Colombo agreed to release the fishermen in their respective custody. However, the two sides have not yet found ways to regulate maritime traffic between southern India and northern Sri Lanka.
According to some observers, Indian fisheries have been exhausted. For this reason, Indian fishermen local Lankan seamount ecosystems, thus harming Sri Lankan fishing communities.
AsiaNews talked to Herman Kumara about the issue. A special guest at the World Forum for Fisher People (WFFP), he is the president of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFS), which has been fighting for the rights of Sri Lankan fishermen.
What do you think of the decision by the Ministry of Fisheries to begin talks on this issue?
Many leaders in the fishing communities of the Northern Province have been working for a long time on the issue of Indian trawlers. Some of them have dealt with the issue for more than ten years. It is clear that the minister went with the leaders of fishing organisations close to him.
For this reason, it is important to emphasise that participants should be knowledgeable about the issue rather than close to the Minister of Fisheries.
Moreover, delegates at the negotiating table ought to represent the genuine concerns and aspirations of the negatively affected communities. At present, we do not know how talks are going because the newspapers and the media do not talk about them.
As a special WFFP guest, in your view, what is the solution to the crisis?
A monitoring mechanism should be established to pool resources together in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. A single authority should represent both countries, which should include fishermen, Navy personnel, Coast Guard and Foreign Affairs officials.
The fishing communities in India and Sri Lanka have so many young educated people who could act as guardians of the sea. These "Protectors of the Sea" could monitor the fishermen.
Should India put less pressure on its fishermen?
As long as there is no reduction and gradual phasing out of Indian fishing trawlers, there will be no solution. Because their waters are already over-exploited, Indian fishermen need to encroach on our territorial waters for their survival. Thus, better resource management is a must for a long-term solution.
What do you think of the fishermen's release?
We welcomed the agreement between the two countries. Families have been eagerly waiting for the release of these people. However, even before the talks, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jeyalalitha had announced the release of 179 Sri Lankan fishermen held in her state. Whichever way it happens, we are happy to see the results.