Get back our boats, we will cut use of banned nets: Fishermen

Indo-Lankan talks committee member N Devadoss who was part of the delegation told DTTNext that ministers present at the meeting included Union Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan and Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh. The delegation included five from Rameswaram, four from Nagapattinam, two from Pudukottai and one each from Thanjavur and Puducherry representing mechanised vessels and country fishing boats. 

Devadoss said that the delegation accepted to reduce the use of banned fishing nets in stages over three years if their demands for return of 113 seized fishing boats was met. Demanding direct talks with their Sri Lankan counterparts, the delegation also accepted to reconsider their demand for 120 days of fishing near Katchatheevu. It may be recalled that this was a major bottleneck in the Indo Lankan fishermen’s talks as the island nation’s Tamil fishermen had blamed Indian, specially Rameswaram fishermen for destroying the sea wealth in their traditional fishing areas. “The actual number of days will be fixed after consultations with colleagues,” he said.