There is a serious set back in the fishing industry. This trend must be stopped and the fishing industry must be salvaged. The living conditions of the fisherman must be improved.

Every day, fresh directives are given and conditions are laid down for fishing. For the sake of security, the number of directives increases day by day. All these procedures affect the fishing industry and the lives of fishermen very badly.

There were several incidents where bodies of many fishermen who went to sea had been recovered with shooting injuries. Due to fear and harassment, most of the fisher folk have given up fishing. Some of them have been displaced as refugees either internally or to India.

Meanwhile, it‘s reported that the lorries that transport fish from Mannar to Colombo propose to suspend their service. They allege that due to the delay at check points, they are unable to take their loads of fish in time to market in Colombo. Having done the fishing braving all these problems, the fishermen are unable to find a market for their catch.

As a result of these new procedures laid down by the security forces and other related problems, the fishing industry has been crippled in the North-East. It is relevant to note that several thousands of people in the coastal areas depend on fishing as their means of income. Furthermore, this unhealthy trend in the fishing industry can create a scarcity for fish in the entire country. The price of fish will go up leading to increase in the coast of living.

It is the duty of the government to ensure that these people, whose traditional occupation is fishing, are permitted to engage in fishing without any harassment and violence in the sea. The government must remove all the burdens heaped on the fishermen and thereby alleviate their sufferings.

An English translation of the Editorial in Virakesari, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

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