Fishing rights in Palk Straits
Chennai: Amid high expectations, the talks between representatives of fishermen of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka commenced here on Monday.
The talks were being held to resolve the vexed issue of fishing rights in the Palk Straits and put an end to the continuing attacks, harassment and arrest of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.
The meeting, presided over by Tamil Nadu Fisheries Minister K A Jayapal, was attended by Suchitra Durai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, and ‘ Nimal Hettiarachchi, Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Sri Lanka.
A total number of 24 fishermen from the Indian side and 18 fishermen Sri Lankan side participated.
The Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai Sabarullah Khan also participated in the talks.
The meeting was earlier scheduled to be held on January 20 but was postponed for Monday after Sri Lanka sought time to finalise the list of representatives for the meeting.
The state government has put forward a five-point agenda that included reiterating free fishing rights of the Tamil Nadu fishermen in Palk Bay, preventing attacks, seizure, confiscation of boats and fishing equipment by the Lankan Navy and discussing ways of recovering them fast, suggesting ways for fishing agreeable to both the sides, exchanging information on distress incidents, and environment-friendly operations to ensure sustainable and viable exploitation of fish and fishery resources.
Sri Lanka has been alleging that Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested for straying into their territorial waters, while the latter maintain that they were only fishing in their traditional areas, especially around Katchatheevu, an islet ceded by India to Colombo in 1974.
The two countries had decided to release over 400 fishermen, in the custody of each other, prior to the meeting. (UNI)