Thu Dec 12 16:47:02 UTC 2024: ## Sri Lanka Urges India to End Destructive Bottom Trawling to Resolve Fisheries Dispute

**Colombo, Sri Lanka –** Sri Lanka’s Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar has called for India to end the use of bottom trawling in the Palk Bay to decisively resolve the long-standing fisheries conflict impacting both nations. The conflict, a key diplomatic issue between India and Sri Lanka, is set to be discussed during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s upcoming visit to India.

Minister Chandrasekar emphasized that bottom trawling, a fishing method employed by Indian fishermen primarily from Tamil Nadu, severely damages the livelihoods of Sri Lankan fishermen, particularly in the north. He highlighted the significant decline in Sri Lanka’s per capita fish consumption, from 17.2 kg in 2017 to 11.07 kg currently, emphasizing the need to protect marine biodiversity and enhance seafood production to combat malnutrition exacerbated by the 2022 economic crisis.

While a bilateral agreement establishes a maritime boundary, Sri Lankan fishermen consistently cite bottom trawling as the root cause of the conflict. Despite Sri Lanka’s 2017 ban on the practice and subsequent penalties, and a 2016 agreement between both countries to phase out bottom trawling, the practice continues.

The conflict has resulted in numerous arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy in 2024, exceeding 530 – more than double the number from the previous year. The Indian High Commissioner has appealed for a humanitarian approach and the early release of detained fishermen.

Minister Chandrasekar appealed for a broader understanding of the issue, stressing that it is not simply a conflict between Tamil Nadu fishermen and the Sri Lankan Navy, but one that severely impacts the livelihoods of Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen who continue to struggle to rebuild after the civil war. He underscored the need for political will from both sides to achieve a lasting solution.

Read More