Fishers pin their hopes on mutual talks

Katchatheevu: As much as fishermen from India and Sri Lanka keep their hopes on the second level of talks scheduled in Colombo on March 25, the island nation's naval chief vice-admiral Jayanath Colombage also expressed hope on an amicable solution through talks.
Colombage was attending the Grand Holy Mass of St Antony's feast at Katchatheevu on Sunday.Addressing reporters, he said that the Sri Lankan navy has to arrest Indian fishermen violating the international maritime boundary line. He also ruled out the charges of fishermen being tortured at the hands of the navy. "The fishermen detained were not tortured by navy personnel," he said. He hoped that the fishermen will arrive at a solution through their mutual talks scheduled in Colombo in the coming days. He said that the island nation being a friendly country to India is collaborating in the talks to end the row between fishermen and he believed that the talks would bring good results for both.
It was also the sole prayer of the fishermen as they celebrated the festival of their patron saint. "It was our only prayer to St Antony in this festival that we may arrive at an amicable solution and this problem ends once and for all," said B Jesuraja, district secretary of Tamil Nadu Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association in Rameswaram.
"We are ready to reduce our fishing activities and propose another 45 days fishing ban period after September in addition to the one existing from April 15 to May 29. We are going to ask for some time to give up trawling," Jesuraja said. The agenda also included proposing the Lankan government to equip the fishermen in the northern part with advance fishing methods. "They are our brothers and we don't want them suffering without livelihood as we suffer the detention by Lankan navy," said S Emerit, another fishermen leader from Rameswaram. The fishermen leaders were also attending the festival at Katchatheevu.
The Lankan fishermen meanwhile expressed their helplessness with hundreds of Indian trawlers operating in their region. "Life is becoming too difficult for us. In spite of spending 1,200 Sri Lankan rupees on a fishing day, we don't get much fish. The 'katta; variety is the famous one fetching good money but we hardly find them with marine wealth fast depleting in our region," said S Natarajan, a fisherman from Neduntheevu. He desperately wants the mutual talks to find some solution to their problem.
"Indian trawlers should stop their destructive fishing practices in our waters. We used to get tonnes of 'katta' fishes some years back which is just a memory now," he rues. Though the festival appears joyful, the Lankan fishermen are aware that they are being watched and hesitant to speak up. "Post-war situation is improving and development is happening. But we are not able to manage the inflation without adequate income. Some of our relatives should be abroad or in Colombo to earn good money so that we can lead decent lives in the northern part," a resident from Mannar said.