SLA fears big fish in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 July 2003, 16:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka army soldiers in Munai, near Pt. Pedro in Jaffna, insisted that a fisherman cut open a large hammerhead shark he had caught Monday to check whether explosives were hidden inside the fish. Fishermen in Munai said that the SLA has ordered that all big fish brought to the shore by them have to be cut open and checked for hidden bombs and explosive devises from Monday.

The hammerhead weighing 35 kilos was cut open despite the fisherman, Mr. Tharmarasa Jeyakumar, 42, pleading with the military that he would have to lose money if he didn’t sell the fish whole.

Fishermen in Munai said that large fish will fetch good prices in the market only if they are sold to traders whole.

Mr. Tharmarasa’s colleagues said he would lose at least 3000 rupees in selling the shark cut up and checked by the army.