Chinese company’s involvement in sea cucumber cultivation in Pooneryn is illegal – Sumanthiran blames
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A Sumanthiran has alleged that it has come to light that a Chinese company is engaged in sea cucumber cultivation in the Gaudarimunai area of the Kilinochchi district and that this is an illegal act.
Noting that the company was set up in secret, he said that not only the fishermen from other districts in Sri Lanka but also the foreign fishermen were exploiting the marine resources of the Tamil people.
Sumanthiran visited the Pooneryn Gaudarimunai area with MP Sivagnanam Sritharan on Monday to understand the views of the public on allegations that a Chinese company was involved in sea cucumber cultivation. He said the company had its office in Ariyalai, Jaffna and that the company had been illegally licensed by the Ministry of Fisheries.
“I see this as an attempt to further expand Chinese dominance in this country, let alone the fact that it has been allowed to engage in this business illegally” Sumanthiran lamented.
Documents show that the company, which operates in Ariyalai, is registered under the Sri Lanka Companies Registration Act, which also includes Chinese as directors.
Commenting on the Chinese company, the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Douglas Devananda said that although the area fishermen had not signed in any agreement to set up the company, it was not clear if the Chinese company had personally provided them with anything because they could not have started the company there without their cooperation.
Meanwhile, Sumanthiran has also questioned the decision to give jobs to Chinese nationals in Jaffna and not youth from the area.
“A #Chinese National near my house in #Kudathanai, 9 km from #Point_Pedro. Pic on Sun 27 June 2021. He is working as a labourer in the Point Pedro-Maruthankerni road construction work. Many youths in #Jaffna are unemployed and struggling for survival. Why can’t locals be employed?” Sumanthiran said in a twitter post.
