Sharing resources: on fishermen and the Palk Bay dispute
Fishermen from both sides of Palk Bay must meet to resolve dispute
India rightly used the sixth meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries, in Colombo on October 29, as an opportunity to again call for a meeting between fishermen of both countries to resolve the vexed problem of fishing in the Palk Bay. In a meeting in Colombo between India’s High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, stress was laid on the “importance of a long-term resolution that respects the needs of fishermen ... and promotes cooperation”. Mr. Dissanayake affirmed his commitment to protecting Sri Lanka’s interests. Weeks earlier, when India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the President, the subject had come up for discussion. The idea of talks between fishermen seems to have takers. On October 25, fishermen staged a demonstration in Rameswaram wanting talks. Nearly eight months ago, representatives of the fisherfolk from the Northern Province had appealed for negotiations with their Tamil Nadu counterparts, despite their complaints about ‘destructive bottom trawling’ by the other side. It is up to Sri Lanka to respond.
What is well known is the frequent arrest of Tamil Nadu’s fishermen, especially from Ramanathapuram, on charges of transgressing the International Maritime Boundary Line. Many are released after India’s intervention. According to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, as on October 27, there were 30 incidents of arrests this year; 140 fishermen and 200 boats are with Sri Lanka. There were casualties on both sides, in June and August, in operations by Sri Lanka to nab Tamil Nadu’s fishermen. However, what appears to be a new trend is the increasing detention of Indian fishermen and their boats, with lengthy sentences and fines on repeat offenders. This is why India’s long-standing position, that the issue has humanitarian and livelihood angles, assumes significance. At the same time, marine ecosystem conservation is important. Once Sri Lanka’s parliamentary poll is over in mid-November, Mr. Dissanayake should enable a conducive environment for the northern fishermen to arrive at an agreement — this would need political support. Likewise, India should again push for the deep-sea fishing project, launched in 2017, for Tamil Nadu’s fishermen, apart from promoting alternative forms of fishing. New Delhi should also come up with suitable schemes to help fishermen in the Northern Province, who have still to recover from the civil war. Fishermen from both countries should explore the relevance of the broad contours of an understanding reached between them in 2010. The northern fishermen should also understand the need to give Tamil Nadu’s fishermen a reasonable period of transition. A combination of measures by all stakeholders is what can resolve the Palk Bay dispute.