A global fisheries movement representing fishermen asked the South Asian countries including Sri Lanka not to arrest fishermen crossing borders for livelihood.
The World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP), which represents 40 million people in 37 countries, has decided on a resolution to request the South Asian countries to a find a permanent solution to the cross border fishing issues.
The WFFP made several resolutions, when the leaders of the organization from several countries gathered in Pondicherry Saturday, to discuss the main challenges facing fisherfolk across the world and how to confront these challenges.
The movement decided on insisting that a permanent solution be found to the issue of fishermen incarceration due to crossing national border and entering the territory of neighboring nations, in the case of the South Asian context.
The WFFP said promises for release of arrested fishermen are not sufficient, and it is important that a policy decision should be arrived by these South Asian countries – India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – that no arrest will be made of fisher people who have crossed border while fishing for their livelihood.
The organization made a demand to pay compensation to over 600 Indian fishermen, who were, according to the WFFP shot at and killed by the Sri Lankan navy since 1984.
“The unfortunate truth is that the families of these fishermen who had been fishing for livelihood are not compensated sufficiently so that the children could continue with the education. We demand that sufficient and justifiable compensation be made to the families of these fishermen by the concerned governments,” the WFFP said.
The movement said they are committed to intensify the demand that the provisions of the UN law of the seas be seriously and fully implemented by the countries with adjoining sea borders, especially in the South Asian context.
2000, 2015 by LankaPage.com (LLC)