Mannaar fishermen attack Badurdeens ‘development’ project

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 November 2012, 23:54 GMT]
Fishing farms earmarked in the Mannaar Sea and that are allocated to his supporters by SL minister Rishard Badurdeen, were destroyed by a group of 450 villagers on Friday in protest against the destructive ‘development’ planned by the Colombo government that hampers their fishing industry.

Badurdeen's supporters had appropriated about 10 acres in the sea and had set up fishing farms in Theavanpiddi area in Maanthai West. The move by the SL minister had deprived 210 fisher families of their livelihood.

The SL minister’s supporters also prevented fisher families from engaging in fishing.

The matter was brought to the notice of politicians and SL government officials but they failed to take prompt action to provide redress to affected fisher families.

On Friday about 450 members of fisher families walked into the sea and caused heavy damages to fishing farms established by SL minister’s supporters.

A team of the Sri Lanka Navy stationed in the area rushed to the site on receipt of information and began attacking the protestors, injuring 10 of them, sources said.