Anti-poaching naval action resumed after prez poll

Ten trawlers, 86 Indians taken into custody

The navy apprehended 86 Indian fishermen along with ten fishing craft east of Mullaitivu on Thursday night––the first action since President Maithripala Sirisena’s first official visit to India.

Navy headquarters spokesman Commander Indika de Silva said that a cluster of Indian boats had been detected about seven nautical miles off the Mullaitivu coat.

The official said that the arrested persons had been handed over to fisheries authorities at Kankesanthurai and Trincomalee.

Responding to a query by The Island, the official said that since early January there had been large scale incursions across Indo-Lanka maritime boundary.

Northern fisher organisations recently accused the navy of turning a blind eye to encroachment by the Indian fishing fleet. They alleged that the situation had further deteriorated after the new government directed the release of all poachers and trawlers in custody.

Authoritative sources said the poaching issue had been taken up at a meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on Feb. 12 at the Presidential Secretariat. One-time Foreign Secretary and Northern Province Governor...

Read more...