Govt to ensure sovereign control over EEZ

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The government is rapidly taking steps to track and monitor fishing activities in Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

A high-powered multi-disciplinary technical committee, comprising scientists and engineers from the Fisheries Ministry and officials from the Defence Ministry are studying satellite-based vessel monitoring system (VMS) packages available with two of the world's leading VMS suppliers based in Netherlands and Norway, to embark on a programme to monitor and survey the sovereign waters of Sri Lanka, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Ministry sources yesterday said.

The committee is in the process of finalizing what will be the country's first satellite-based VMS to manage its fisheries at the international level, sources said.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratna said Sri Lanka has an EEZ of 517,400 square kilometres over which it has sovereign and exclusive rights to explore and exploit the natural resources.

The country's EEZ is bigger than the EEZs of Japan (480,000 square kilometres), Malaysia (475,600 square kilometres) and that of Myanmar, said Senaratna. "The lack of an established fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) has caused difficulties in managing Sri Lankan fisheries. It has caused losses unaccounted for in terms of fish that have been taken from our waters by means of Illegal Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing operations," he said. "With the establishment of tools such as the VMS, we will also build international confidence in fisheries management," the minister said.

"The government is intent on developing its fisheries sector in keeping with international requirements and standards. This is envisioned in the Mahinda Chinthana. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has emphasized on the importance of developing the fisheries sector to become a cornerstone of the Sri Lankan economy," he said.

Advisor to the Fisheries Minister, Dr S Subasinghe told the Daily News that action will be in place to enforce the country's national fisheries policy throughout its EEZ in the future.

"Action will be taken to prosecute those who violate the International Law of the Sea by crossing International Maritime Boundaries to exploit our marine resources," he said.

He said with the installation of a vessel monitoring mechanism with on board VMS equipment, the ministry will be able to prevent national fishing vessels from drifting to other countries' territorial waters.

VMS equipment will be fitted to all multi-day boats. There are around 3,900 multi-day vessels registered with the Fisheries Ministry. Once the VMS has been installed, the boats without permits to engage in fishing operations in the EEZ will be apprehended.

Asked to comment on illegal fishing operations carried out by foreign fishing vessels in Sri Lankan waters, Subasinghe said the ministry's intention is to develop national fisheries to fall in line with international guidelines.

He said enhanced monitoring of the EEZ is also expected to reduce tension between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen in the Palk Bay region on account of violating the International Maritime Boundary Line that divides the Palk Bay waters between India and Sri Lanka.