SLA soldiers attack fishermen in Poonakari sea

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 January 2009, 16:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers posted along the coast of Poonakari and Kalmunai attacked indiscriminately the fishermen who had gone to fish there from Kurnakar area on the opposite coast of Jaffna lagoon, Kurunakar Fisheries Society sources said. Meanwhile, SLA banned fishing in the seas of the areas mentioned above as a measure strengthening the coastal security as Poonakari has been made the SLA commanding base for the Vanni mainland, sources in Jaffna said.

SLA soldiers assaulted the fishermen who had gone fishing in 60 boats and numbering nearly 250, Kurunakar Fisheries society sources said.

Some of the fishermen injured in the attack have been treated for their wounds in the hospital, they added.

SLA, after occupying Poonakari, had first allowed day time fishing in Jaffna lagoon without any particular restriction but since early January the use of outboard motors on boats was not permitted.

Later, fishing in Jaffna lagoon was limited only to a restricted area and now a total ban on fishing has been imposed in the seas of Poonakarai and Kalmunai by the SLA.

The SLA base in Kalmunai is being extended and strengthened and the ban on fishing near Poonakari and Kalmunai area has been imposed because of security reasons, sources in Jaffna said.

The fishermen use a special kind of net in fishing in the areas of Poonakari and Kalmunai called ‘Karaivalai’.