Brothers’ hope for amicable solution
- Pilgrims at Katchatheevu St Anthony festival prayed for safe, uninterrupted fishing by fishermen from India and Sri Lanka.
- The pilgrim made a strong pitch for the traditional fishing rights, livelihood for fishermen from both sides .
- Fishermen want an early solution to fishermen being caught by forces from both sides from time to time,
- Fishermen from India and Sri Lanka to meet in Colombo on March 25 for 2nd round of talks over the fight over Palk Bay
- Nearly 50,000 fisherman of Northern Sri Lanka have to bear the brunt of Indian trawlers in the sea affecting their livelihood.
- Indian locals say that Indian fishermen use mechanized boats – visaippadagu – not trawlers as alleged by Srilanka.
- Indian fishermen unlikely to give up use of trawlers, claiming no fish in Indian waters had to take risk and cross boundary to take care of their families.
- Indian fishermen say ‘traditional fishing rights’ claims of Sri Lankan fisherman has no legal bearing in backdrop of 1974-1976 pact between India and Sri Lanka.
- Indian fisherman look forward to finding an amicable solution to the issue at the forthcoming meet in Colombo.
Exams Perspctive:
- India Srilanka Bilateral Relations
- Kachchatheevu Islands
- International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)