Disturbance in the meeting on banning Trawler Fishing between TNA and Fishermen’s Reps
Tension prevailed at a meeting between TNA MPs and representatives of Fishermen, when MPs tried to go away without giving opportunity for the fishermen to express their views.
In a context where draft law Trawler fishing tabled by TNA MP Mathyaparanam Abraham Sumanthiran is to be taken up for debate on the 6th of this month, this meeting was organized under the aegis of the NP Federation of Fishermen was held at an expensive hotel in Jaffna, “Green Grass Hotel” yesterday.
After the President of the federation and the MPs addressing the gathering, the MPs were getting out of the venue, when members of the Fishermen’s Society blocked their way saying nobody can go away without listening to them. Great confusion was caused at the venue due to this.
Only after they were allowed to express their opinion some peace was restored.
TNA MPs, Mawai Senathyrasa, M.A.Sumanthiran, S.Sritharan, Mrs. Santhy Satkunarasa , T. Sitharththan and E. Saravanabawan participated in this meeting.
A local fisherman who was contacted over the Trawler ban said the following:
* The 117 Fishermen societies with less than 50 members each, who had said to be requested Sumanthiran to table a draft Act banning trawling are doing fishing only within 5 Km from shore or in lagoons, where as our society has we do trawling 25 nautical miles away ,which cannot affect the livelihood of this fishermen.
* The supposed to be representatives of Fishermen’s Federations, namely, S. Supramanium, Mariathas, J. Francis and Allam are (in his own words) “கடல் தண்ணீரில் கச்சை நனையாத ஆட்கள்” (sic), which literally means that they do not have any connection with fishing. On of them is a dynamite vendor living off dynamited fish he buy. Other one is smuggler in Vadamaradchchi. All for them are orchestrated by a state Organization with vested interest and a Private sea food exporting Company financing up to 43% of the said state organization.
* We normally catch prawns in muddy beds sans any natural habitats and our fishing does not damage any natural habitats nor our harvest included any non-target species.
