Northern fishermen protest in Jaffna against Indians

Northern fishermen staged a protest in Jaffna today against Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

The fishermen staged a protest walk in the Jaffna town and later handed over a petition to the Deputy Indian High Commission in Jaffna.

Fishermen in the North last weekend?rejected a proposal to meet?Indian fishermen to discuss a solution to the fishing issue and decided to stage a protest today.

The Indian Government had called for talks between Sri Lankan and?Tamil Nadu fishermen to discuss the fishermen issue.

However Northern fishermen?s associations had said they have no faith in reaching a solution by having talks with Indian fishermen so they have rejected the proposal.

Vinayagamoorthi Sahathevan, Consultant Fishermen Society Kilinochchi said that over 40 associations had met in the north last?weekend and?discussed the fishermen issue.

He said that Northern fishermen had decided to stage a protest against a proposal by India to allow Indian fishermen to legally catch fish in Sri Lankan waters.

Sahathevan noted that following recent talks held in New Delhi between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, a large number of Indian fishermen have been seen poaching in Sri Lankan waters. (Colombo Gazette)