Sri Lanka’s fisheries minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar said President Anura Dissanayake is holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the long-running dispute over the arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen. He said an announcement could come in “two or three weeks”.
Speaking to reporters at Katchatheevu on Saturday after the two-day St Antony’s church festival, the minister said bottom trawling by Indian fishermen was the main provocation. He alleged that the practice damages the sea and fish catch, violates Sri Lankan law and has been banned, but claimed fishermen continue to enter Sri Lankan waters.
Chandrasekar said discussions also covered fishermen currently lodged in Sri Lankan prisons, their release, and the risks posed to marine resources due to bottom trawling. He said Sri Lanka was trying to improve the lives of its fishermen by enforcing rules, and added that “the law is taking its course” when asked about arrests and fines.
On political demands in Tamil Nadu to “retrieve” Katchatheevu, including a recent remark attributed to TVK president and actor Vijay, the minister said such calls had been made for decades during elections. He maintained that Katchatheevu belongs to Sri Lanka.
He also described this year’s St Antony’s festival as a record turnout, estimating around 12,500 participants, including about 4,000 from India. He said people from multiple religions, including Christians, Hindus, Muslims and Sinhalese, took part and that the event was organised on a grand scale.
