SLA's night trawler ban provokes protests in Pt.Pedro

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 17:02 GMT]
Unloading of cargo from merchant vessels in Point Pedro harbour came to a standstill on Tuesday due to the boycott by the owners of trawlers. The owners have launched the boycott protesting against the order by the 524 Brigade commander of the Sri Lanka Army that trawlers will not be allowed to anchor in the jetty during nights, sources said.

For the past twelve years the Jaffna district secretariat deployed fishing trawlers to tow the barges, which are used to transfer cargo from ship to shore. The SLA till last week allowed these trawlers to be anchored in the jetty in nights after day work. However the 524 Brigade commander last week issued a directive that no fishing trawler would be allowed to anchor in the jetty during nights after work, sources said.

Now the trawler owners have launched the boycott campaign until the SLA rescinded its order banning night anchoring in the Point Pedro jetty, sources said.

The unloading of cement from a vessel now anchored in the Point Pedro harbour was completely interrupted Tuesday due to the boycott, Jaffna district secretariat sources said.

Several lorries, which arrived Point Pedro to remove cement to other areas returned empty Tuesday due to the disruption of unloading from ship to