TNA welcomes lifting fishing ban

Boom for fishermen:

M. P. Muttiah

Several political parties including the Tamil National Alliance's Eastern Province Parliamentarian Thangeswari Kadirgamar have welcomed the Government's decision to remove the ban on fishing in the Eastern Coast. The people depend mostly on fishing as a livelihood. She appreciated President Mahinda Rajapaksa's instructions to remove the ban.

At a special meeting recently, Eastern Province Navy Chief Rear Admiral S.M.D. Weerasekera announced this decision. Cooperative Minister Najeeb A. Majeed, Eastern Province Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema, provincial councillors, Muttur Pradeshiya Sabha members and 450 members of 25 fisheries unions partcipated at the meeting. In the Muttur area, 1,796 fishermen use 500 boats and 221 Dingy boats. In Kinniya 2,661 fishermen use 945 boats and 84 dingy boats.

According to the decision, fishing could be done in areas where there are no high security zones.