KARAIKAL: Days after a fisherman here complained of his mechanised boat, which was impounded by the Sri Lankan Navy in November last year on charges of poaching, having sunk, fisherfolk on Monday submitted a petition with the Karaikal collector seeking the government’s urgent intervention before other similar vessels are also reduced of their seaworthiness from neglect.
According to sources, a group of 14 fishermen, including ten from Karaikal, on November 16, 2022, put out to sea from Karaikal fishing harbour in a mechanised boat belonging to M Selvamani (60) of Kottucherrimedu. That night, the Sri Lankan Navy in a fast-attack craft confronted the fishermen off Point Calimere and arrested them for alleged poaching.
Selvamani's boat was impounded by the local fisheries authorities. While the fishermen were released after serving detention, the ruling by a court in Point Pedro led to Selvamani's boat being attached and it being declared an asset of the Sri Lankan government. Selvamani appealed against it in a higher court in Jaffna following which the court agreed to hear his plea on March 27 this year.
Days before the hearing, Selvamani and his family read news reports from Sri Lanka of some vessels being sunk near Mullaitivu, sources said. During the hearing on March 27, Selvamani argued that he was not present when his men were arrested and contested his boat being attached and made a government asset. The Jaffna court then allowed him to accompany Sri Lankan fisheries authorities to inspect the boat's condition.
Meanwhile, Selvamani learnt that the fisheries authorities had “given away” his boat to a fisher in Mullaitivu. After waiting till April 7 to receive the court order, Selvamani and officials from the fisheries department and Myliddy fishing harbour went to the place off Mullaitivu in a small vessel only to see his boat almost submerged. "The boat was almost under water. They had removed my vessel’s gantry," Selvamani said. The gantry is an integral component of a trawler which helps the boat to trawl the fish catch. It may be noted that trawling is, however, banned in Sri Lanka.
"It is mentioned in the court order that the boat should be maintained well until the legal proceedings are over. However, the vessel has been left to ruin. We demand retrieval of the boat and compensation for damage," he added. S Kamaraj, a fisherfolk representative from Kottucherrimedu, who submitted the petition highlighting Selvamani’s demands to the collector, said, "It would take several lakh rupees to restore a vessel’s seaworthiness. It may not be possible at all. We condemn such actions by Sri Lanka, leaving our boats to meet such a horrific fate."