Fishing restriction re-imposed in Moothoor, Trincomalee Sea

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 May 2008, 14:34 GMT]
The fishing restriction relaxed about ten days before the east provincial council election held on Monday 10 and has been re-imposed from May 11. Officials of the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN)manning the jetties in Trincomalee Harbour have told fishermen that SLN will not allow fishing due to "orders from the higher-ups".

Fishermen say that they have not been allowed to step into the beach and they have not gone for fishing since May 11.

The livelihood of about 2000 fisher families has been affected due to the renewed restriction on fishing.

Speculation was rife in the area whether the re-imposition of restriction was connected with the defeat of the ruling party in the Moothoor and Trincomalee electorates in the Trincomalee district in the east provincial election. The ruling party won only in the Seruvila electorate in the district, reports said.