The fishing community of Poonaryn in Kilinochchi northern in Sri Lanka are at risk of losing their livelihoods due to discriminatory fishing activities of Chinese fishermen, Poonaryn fishermen claim.
They claim that these Chinese fishermen are doing extensive fishing activities using larger vessels. According to the Chinese have begun to catch sea leeches too. Pooneryn fishermen are helpless as Chinese fishermen at a seafood processing centre near Pooneryn Island in Poonaryn, Kilinochchi, have started catching fish, sea urchins, prawns, squid and crabs in large quantities.
Local fishermen say the issue of Chinese companies fishing in the North Sea has become more of a threat to Indian fishermen coming to the North Sea.
The Kilinochchi Fishermen’s Association strongly objected to the establishment of the Sri Lanka-China joint venture in the Poonaryn area, but at that time the authorities assured that the activities of the company would not be a problem for the local fishermen.
Therefore, the fishermen’s associations were also silent at that time.
However, Chinese fishermen have now started fishing on a large scale throughout the province.
