A timely move

The Government’s long awaited decision to de-restrict fishing zones and times in many parts of the North-East will be a major boon for the fisher folk in these areas, who faced many challenges and hardships in a conflict zone.

The credit for this timely decision must go to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the defence authorities and the fisheries authorities.

Although the fishing restriction affected the livelihoods of thousands of individuals, one must consider the context in which they had to be imposed in the first place.

The LTTE has an active sea-wing and there have been many instances when they disguised themselves as fishermen and attacked the Security Forces.

In this backdrop, the Government as a precautionary safety measure and to ensure peace and security of the civilian population, had no alternative but to impose certain limitations on fishing activities in the region.

However, several recent developments have enabled the Government to relax some of the security measures.

The near-total capture of the LTTE controlled areas in the East by the Government Forces, the successful re-settlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the development of infrastructure facilities, have given the Government ample room to pave the way for a better life for the civilian population.

Restoring normality is one of the main planks of this drive. With the lifting of the restrictions, the fishing community can now freely engage in their normal fishing activities in the lagoons, estuaries and the deep and shallow waters of the sea around the island.

They can now emerge from the devastation of the tsunami as well. This will be a good opportunity to assess the present status of our fishing industry, which has suffered a decline over the years due to a lack of modernisation and infrastructure facilities.

More modern fishing vessels equipped with fish-finding sonar and ship-to-shore communication facilities are needed to boost the industry, along with storage and transport facilities. Poaching by foreign vessels is another major problem.

An effective Coast Guard Force must complement the Navy to ward off poaching vessels. That brings us to the question of the threat posed by the LTTE to both Indian and Lankan fishermen. It was just a couple of months back that the LTTE hijacked an Indian fishing vessel to transport a weapons consignment.

This vessel was later attacked and sunk by the Maldivian Defence authorities. Sri Lanka and India must evolve a joint patrolling/surveillance mechanism to prevent LTTE activities in the territorial waters of both countries.

With security assured for fishermen and fishing limits taken off, there will be a greater opportunity for the local fisheries sector to realise its true potential.

Although Sri Lanka’s territorial waters extend almost 200 nautical miles from the island, the local fisheries industry lacks the facilities and the manpower to fully exploit the fishing resources therein.

If more such facilities can be granted, most of the population will be able to buy fish, which has become a somewhat expensive commodity, at reasonable prices.

The Government must also focus attention on developing the inland fisheries industry. It is well known that freshwater fish is even more nutritious than the marine equivalent.

It should be an attractive proposition for many areas in the dry zone which have large man-made and natural tanks. Reduced transport costs should translate into more affordable fish prices for those living in the country’s interior.

We hope there will be a more conducive environment in the long term that could lead to the abolition of all restrictions on fishing, thus enabling the industry to develop rapidly to First World standards.