Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda called upon Tamil Members of Parliament from northern Sri Lanka to engage with the Indian government and initiate immediate discussions to address the issue of illegal Indian fishermen operating in the North Sea.
Minister Devananda highlighted his more than two decades of efforts to combat the intrusion of Indian fishermen into the North Sea, acknowledging that complete success had not been achieved.
In light of this ongoing challenge, the Fisheries Minister emphasized that other Tamil MPs representing the north and relying on the support of the local fishing community should also contribute and make sacrifices to address this problem.
The minister revealed that the Sri Lankan Navy had taken steps to apprehend Indian fishermen involved in illegal fishing activities in the North Sea. However, he noted that these arrests were insufficient.
Minister Douglas Devananda stressed the need for the Navy to apprehend Indian fishermen with the same efficiency as they do with local fishermen engaged in illegal fishing.
