The North Western Sea Belt is celebrated for its biodiversity, scenic beauty, and fisheries potential, attracting tourists and sustaining livelihoods. It remains a marvel of nature. However, it is disappointing to note that the use of illegal fishing gear has caused extensive damage to the aquatic resources and breeding grounds of fish and has long gone unchecked for more than four decades. Environmentalists, who have expressed concern about this irreparable damage to this environmental zone, said their complaints to the previous governments for the more than four decades has fallen on deaf ears.
The sea belt originating in Kochchikade expands through Modagamaru, in Mannar, to Pukkulama fisheries village bounded by the Wilpattu National Park.
Coral reefs in this zone are breeding grounds for several species of fish endemic to the area that provide a livelihood to the divers and the fisherfolk engaging in the import of live fish to boost foreign exchange earnings.
The North Western Sea belt in the Puttalam district has been divided into Puttlam and Chilaw fisheries zones under two Assistant Directors of Fisheries for the convenience of the fisherfolk. Statistically, 5600 boats of 25 and 40 horsepower engine capacity, 3000 catamarans and double canoe rafts and about 600 multi-day trawlers are launched for deep sea fishing from the fisheries harbour and anchors in this zone. This provides livelihood for more than 40,000 families that depend on direct and indirect employment.
However, the fisherfolk in the Puttalam district have been facing a series of issues for a long time, much to their anxiety, and the worst affected are the fishermen in the Puttalam Fisheries Director’s Zone. Ruthless exploitation of fishery resources by Indian poachers in the Sri Lankan waters who resort to the destructive method of bottom trawling. Fishermen have stated that they have been subject to constant death threats and intimidation by Indian poachers.
They said these nefarious activities have gone unchecked despite constant raids carried out by the Coast Guard Department and the Sri Lanka Navy that arrest the Indian poachers.
Representatives of fishermen’s organisations pointed out that bottom trawing or dragging with heavy weighted nets ruined the fishery resources, other aquatic resources and the breeding grounds of fish.
Meanwhile, several other groups of Sri Lankan fishermen are causing similar damage to the fishery resources by using Lalila and Purse Seine Nets and other prohibited fishing gear. The Fishermen pointed out that the Fisheries Minister of a previous government and the relevant officials had issued permits to use the Purse Seine Nets regardless of protests of the fisherfolk. They said that the ministry settled the dispute by setting out a series of conditions applicable to the use of Purse Seine Nets, but these conditions were a dead letter, never adhered to.
Fishermen’s organisations pointed out that the use of Purse Seine nets is prohibited by law to catch several species of fish, but it has gone unchecked while the relevant authorities are lethargic.
Meanwhile, Puttalam District Parliamentarian, Ajith Gihan, who had been campaigning long against the use of illegal fishing gear, said the use of illegal fishing gear has been a serious issue that created clashes among fishermen.
“It is a matter of serious concern that the previous governments for decades failed to resolve this issue and allowed it to worsen. The present government considers it a matter of priority to either to allow the use of Purse Seine nets subject to a legal framework or to prohibit their use.” He further said.
However, the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Puttalam District, Sarath Chandrawansa, said, “Permits have been issued for 90 puse seine nets, but it is not possible to monitor their use for want of fisheries craft”. He asserted that the navy should look into it and that he is prepared to co-operate.