Despite talks that Sri Lanka was considering imposing fines on foreign vessels trespassing into its territorial waters, Indian media reports that there has been no definite solution despite a highly publicized meeting between the two countries last month.
An article in the New Indian Express states, “No steps had been taken by India to provide the fishermen with an alternative to bottom trawling in the Palk Strait, or secure the release of 105 trawlers which are in Sri Lankan custody. “
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has plans to revise legislation to regulate foreign fishing boats, and if passed by Parliament, owners of Indian trawlers who are accused of fishing illegally in Sri Lankan waters may have to pay penalties up to Indian Rs.7 crore.
Indian trawlers allegedly cross the International Maritime Boundary and fish illegally in Sri Lankan waters. To curb this practice, the Sri Lankan government, in 2014, decided to retain trespassing trawlers in its custody.
According to a spokesman of the Sri Lankan Navy, as many as 134 Indian trawlers remain in Sri Lankan custody since.
Despite repeated detention, the problem persists with many Indian fishermen, originating from Tamil Nadu, reportedly still engaging in illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan side of the Palk Bay.
To tighten regulations, Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Ministry is working on amending the 1979 legislation, introducing huge fines for trespassing foreign vessels. A draft has been readied and submitted to the Auditor General’s Department. The amendment is likely to be taken up in parliament in mid-January, according to a senior official.
“As per the draft, the fines range between Rs. 1.5 million and Rs. 150 million, depending on the size of the vessel,” the official told an Indian publication this week.
During a meeting on November 5, the Joint Working Group of Fisheries decided to meet once in three months; while the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Fisheries will meet every six months, and the fishermen’s associations will also meet every six months. India had agreed to ‘consider’ the Sri Lankan proposal for joint naval patrolling of the Palk Strait. India also agreed for the first time to ban bottom trawling while it was reported that Indian counterparts agreed to make arrangements to gradually stop bottom trawling as well as poaching of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters.