‘Kachchativu’s sovereign ownership lies with SL’

Chamikara Weerasingha

The Kachchathivu island in the Palk Straits is a territory of the Sri Lankan State. Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratna said yesterday the resolution moved by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha to retrieve the island from Sri Lanka carries zero weight in terms of its sovereign ownership by the country.

Dr Senaratna stressed that the exercise of the Kachchativu island’s jurisdiction is with Sri Lanka. Its jurisdiction had been cemented by successive agreements signed between Sri Lanka and India in 1974 and 1976.

“There is no way that a provincial administration such as the Tamil Nadu Provincial Government can have any impact on a bilateral treaty signed between two sovereign States,“ Dr Senaratna pointed out.

“A resolution moved by an assembly of a provincial government cannot alter or reverse an agreement signed between two governments,” he added.

The issue of Kachchativu island has been a part of Tamil Nadu politics. President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected a call for the return of the Kachchativu island by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2001, May as then Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister stating,” it is impossible to give the island back to them as it has been recognized by the international community as an integral part of Sri Lanka since it was handed over by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, he said.”

Dr Senaratna said the Fisheries Ministry is faced with problems centred on overfishing by Indian fishermen who enter into Sri Lankan territorial waters and catch fish by bottom trawling. Bottom trawling kills millions of fish unnecessarily and is illegal in Sri Lanka. “We are planing to resolve the crisis of trespassing and overfishing in our waters,” he said. “The government will deal directly with the India Central Government to resolve any problems in this concern,” he said.

An Indian high level delegation will be here to discuss the issues pertaining to fisheries between Sri Lanka and India shortly, Dr Senaratna said. These talks are expected to develop economic , political and friendly ties between the two countries, he added.