Fishing ban to be relaxed in Pesalai, Pallimunai Sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 July 2006, 14:22 GMT]
Officers of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) announced Sunday that the ban imposed on fishing in sea along Pallimunai and Pesalai coastal area is to be relaxed from Monday, July 17. The decision was taken at a conference held Sunday morning Mannar Bishop, Rev Rayappu Joseph's House. The SLN officials also imposed additional conditions the fishermen, civill sources said.

Mr.V.Visuvalingam Mannar Government Agent, Ms Stanley de Mel, Mannar Divisional Secretary, Lieutenant Commander Buddhika Gunawardene, Sunny Village SLN commander Mr.Sujila, Public relations Officer of the Sunny Village SLN camp, Rev.Fr.Ganapiragasam, Pallimunai Parish Priest, Rev.Fr. Vincent Patrick, Pesalai Parish Priest and representatives of Mannar District Fisheries Federation and of fisheries societies functioning in villages Pallimunai, Pesalai, Panankatikotu, Siruthoppu and Vankalai attended the conference, sources said.

Additional imposed conditions on fishermen by the SLN announced at the conference were"

• Fishermen should leave shore daily after 6 a.m. and should return same day before 6 p.m. Those boats fail to return the same day evening would be allowed to return only next day morning after 6 a.m.
• Fishing will be allowed beyond four km off the shore.
• They should stop their boats in sea when SNL patrol boats order.
• Fishermen of Pallimunai could use the lagoon located four km between Erukalampiddy-Oosimookanthurai and Pallimunai sea shore for fishing with small boats.
• Fishing will not be allowed in Pesalai Sea within four km distance from the shore using small boats and trawlers,

SLN officials said at the conference.

SLN officials further announced at the conference that permission will be granted after one week for night fishing daily evening after 6 p.m.till next day morning 6 a.m. in the Mannar district. Till then the current ban on night fishing will continue, sources said.

Representatives of fisheries associations requested the SLN officials that arrangements should be made for SLN patrol boats of Karainagar and Kalpity SLN detachments when they are on patrol duty in Mannar Sea to accept their special fishing identity cards issued by Mannar-Sunny Village SLN camp. SLN officials assured that they would issue necessary instruction to those concerned, sources said.

The SLN imposed ban on fishing in the entire Mannar district following the fire fight between the SLN and LTTE on June 17. Later on representation made by fisheries sources the SLN relaxed the fishing ban in other parts of the district excluding Pallimunai and Pesalai Sea. Hence large number of fishermen from both these villages and other migrant fishermen has been deprived of their day to day life, sources said

Mannar Bishop and Wanni district parliamentarians Messrs Selvam Adaikalanathan, Vino Noharathalingam, Sivasakthi Ananthan and Kishore Sivanathan and several civil leaders made an urgent appeal to the authorities to lift the fishing ban to reduce the economic hardship on the fisher families, sources said.