According to a senior functionary of an international body on oceans and seas, the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s advice to the Tamil fishermen on not violating the International Maritime Boundary line (IMBl) between India and Sri lanka and poaching from the island nation’s territory is a fallout of the warning issued by European Union to India. The European Union has asked India for a status report on the dreaded Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The delegation of Tamil Nadu fishermen, who called on her in New Delhi on Wednesday, were told by Swaraj not to fish in the Sri lankan waters by crossing the IMBl. Meanwhile, the politicians in Tamil Nadu have taken an exception to the directives issued by Swaraj to the fishermen.
“India has been asked by the European Union to put an end to IUU fishing in international waters by its fishermen. Sri lanka has complained to the EU about the massive IUU fishing in its territorial waters by Tamil Nadu fishermen,” Yugraj Yadava, director, Bay of Bengal Programme, told The Pioneer on Friday.
Bay of Bengal Programme is an Inter-Governmental Organisation, mandated to enhance cooperation among member countries, other countries, and organisations in the region and provide technical and management advisory services for sustainable coastal fisheries development.
Dr Yadava, who is regularly interacting with Sri lankan Government and the European Union on matters regarding fishing, said that Sri lanka has submitted to the EU authorities all details about the poaching perpetrated by fishermen from Tamil Nadu in the coastal waters of the island nation. “They have furnished fool proof evidence against trespassing and illegal fishing by Tamil Nadu fishermen in their waters,” he said.
Sri lanka’s move to approach the EU against India came following the EU banning import of fish from the island nation for its failure to tackle IUU fishing. According to Financial Times of Sri lanka, the country stands to lose $200 million every year because of the ban. Dr Yadava said Sri lankan fishermen have been fishing in international waters close to Mauritius and Diego Garcia violating all international law. A ban on the import of Indian fish by the European Union would cost India more than $3 billion per year, he said.
The Indian Coast Guard, in its affidavit to the Madras High Court early this week has said that there were 36,865 violations of the IMBl by the Tamil Nadu fishermen from January 2014 to February 2015. KR Nautiyal, deputy director general, ICG, said, Sri lankan Navy has provided registration number of 1,474 boats which violated the IMBl. “Sri lankan fishermen were badly hit by excessive trawling by the fishermen from Tamil Nadu,” the DDG said in his submission.