SLN Muttur attacks endanger livelihood of fisher families

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 March 2006, 18:42 GMT]
Muttur Divisional Fishermen's Co-operative Societies Union (MDFCSU) said a statement released Sunday in Trincomalee that more than two thousand fisher families have seriously affected economically following attacks by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) on the coastal villages in the Muttur east.

Many Muttur families solely depend on fishing for their living livelihood. During the war situation too these families lived on their income derived from fishing on a limited scale. But with the signing of the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam income from fishing improved and fisher families economic burdens eased.

Since March 19 this year many fishermen do not venture out to the sea fearing attacks by the SLN patrolling the seas in Dvora speed boats and water jets, the statement said.

The statement added that on March 19 night around 7.30 p.m. the SLN attacked a fishing boat injuring three fishermen M.Jesurajah, V.Wijeyarohan, and V.Yogeswaran and damaged their boat and fishing equipment. On March 20 at about 12.30 in the afternoon, the SLN Dvora boat attacked the coastal villages, Soodaikuda, Koonitivu, Kadatkaraichenai and Sampoor injuring several civilians and causing damages to houses.

The attacks continued on March 21 in daytime. Two laborers sustained serious injuries in that attack. Since then these fisher families have been pushed into severe economic hardship unable to fish, the statement said.