MAYILADUTHURAI: The arrest of 37 fishers from Mayiladuthurai by the Sri Lankan Navy has sparked fresh concerns with the Lankan authorities seizing a purse seine fishing boat for the first time.
On Thursday, a purse seine fishing boat, along with two accompanying motorised boats from Poompuhar, was apprehended by the Lankan Navy in the Palk Strait.
The fishers aboard the vessels were also detained. R Soundarapandiyan, a fisher representative from Akkaraipettai, said, "Purse seine fishing is disastrous to the livelihoods of our fishing community. It could exacerbate the conflict in the Palk Strait with Sri Lanka.
There should be a blanket ban on purse seine fishing." In January 2023, the Supreme Court lifted the ban on purse seine fishing nets under certain conditions, allowing fishers to use the nets twice a week (on Mondays and Thursdays) between 8 am and 6 pm, but only within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), from 12 nautical miles (nm) to 200 nm, and outside territorial sea waters.
However, these regulations have largely been deemed impractical, with many fishers resorting to illegal use of the nets. Traditionally, fishers from Mayiladuthurai who use purse seine nets operate in the Coromandel waters. However, recent incidents indicate that these fishers ventured into the Palk Strait, effectively merging two separate conflicts into a larger one.
An official from the Coastal Security Group (CSG) noted, "The Lankan government has long opposed trawling, and their disapproval for purse seine fishing is even stronger due to the detrimental impact on the livelihoods of their local fishers."
While a trawler typically carries 7 to 15 people, a purse seine fishing boat can carry up to 40 fishers due to the large size of the net. This increases the likelihood of more people being arrested in such cases compared to trawler incidents, the official added.
The opposition to purse seine fishing within the local fishing community has been growing. On Sunday, a meeting was held at Akkaraipettai, with representatives from Nagapattinam and Karaikal participating. The attendees condemned the use of purse seine nets and announced an indefinite strike, demanding strong action against those involved in the practice.
Collector AP Mahabharathi also issued a firm warning, stating, "We will take legal action against those using purse seine fishing nets illegally. Boat owners are instructed to remove these nets from their vessels immediately. If violations are found, we will seize the boats, confiscate the nets, and revoke government benefits."