Settlement of the fishing dispute

• Sri Lankan Parliament Leader Bimal Rathnayake, a key figure in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) government, has called for decisive action against illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

• Rathnayake, also the Transport and Highways Minister, acknowledges India’s support during the civil war, economic crisis, and floods.

• Rathnayake emphasizes the need to protect the livelihood of Tamil-speaking fishermen of the Northern Province, who have been victims of illegal fishing.

• The issue of illegal fishing has been a contentious issue for years, with fishermen from various districts crossing the International Maritime Border Line for fishing.

• The fishermen are also complaining about bottom trawling by Indian fishermen, which is responsible for nearly half of all discarded fish and marine life globally and disrupts the breeding cycle.

• The asymmetric economic relationship between the Tamil Nadu fishing community and the Sri Lankan fishermen from the Northern Province complicates the situation.

• The Indian and Tamil Nadu governments should promote seaweed cultivation, open sea cage cultivation, and sea/ocean ranching to wean away fishermen from bottom trawling.

• The Union government could merge the ₹1,600-crore Palk Bay deep-sea fishing scheme with the ₹20,050-crore Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana to encourage more participation in deep-sea fishing.

• Rathnayake’s government’s attitude towards facilitating talks between the two countries is a concern, as both governments have favoured the resumption of talks between fishermen.

• The next few months would be ideal for the talks to take place, as the annual two-month-long ban on fishing in the eastern coast of India typically begins in midApril.