Many complaints:

USE OF dynamite FOR fishing

Fred SILVA JINASENA, Telwatta group corr

The large number of complaints made to the public about dynamiting of fish in Pereliya and nearby areas have been overlooked even without any investigations, fishermen and villagers living in coastal areas said.

As such the fish dynamiters are engaging in their activities daily in the sea in these areas without any hindrance they said.

They said they have informed of these incidents to the Police Emergency Centre 118 last month, when dynamiters were engaging in collecting the dead fish at sea, when unloading fish in gunny bags into the closeby fish Wadi and their names also given to the police, but the police have not taken any action or even collect the dynamited fish. The genuine fishermen pointed out.

The genuine fishermen pointed out that one of the leading madel net hauling operation in Telwatte-Pereliya fishery harbour is handling the fish dynamiting activities throughout by supplying explosive materials to the fish dynamiters.

Last November too, the Ambalangoda police arrested two persons along with dynamites while they were transporting it in a trishaw at Ambalangoda police division.

The particular couple were produced before the Magistrate Balapitiya and released on bail. Owing to this unlawful activities of so called madel fisherman, the entire fish that inhabits the corals have been completely destroyed along with millions of fish roe.

As such the fish shoals are not growing in this famous fishery harbour as in the past, some fisherman pointed out. Owing to these unlawful activities, hundreds of families of genuine fishermen are in dire distress, even in off seasons.