New Delhi: Joint management of resources and
making a limited pool of water for fishing are some of the
possible options that are being explored by India and Sri Lanka to prevent incidents of fishermen being harassed or
attacked.
India has also handed over a non-paper to the Sri Lankan
side on the initiatives that could be taken to prevent such
incidents in future as the other side is not receptive for any
formal agreement as it fears that there would be some legal
implications.
The issues were discussed at length between the two
countries at the Joint Working Group on Fisheries last week in
the wake of incidents of Indian fishermen being harassed
allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy.
They said the two countries have also decided to promote
greater interaction and cooperation between fishermen from
both sides so that they understand each other's problems and
find ways to avoid any confrontation.
They also noted that the Sri Lankan government has been
very cooperative in assisting the Indian fishermen who get
stranded in the sea and they were "assisted fairly".
India's endeavour was to reach some "safe, secure and
sustainable" arrangement to make sure that the fishermen of
both countries are able to carry out their work without any
difficult.
The ideas proposed by India include joint management of
resources and making certain limited pool of water for fishing
by fishermen from both countries and coming out new modes of
fishing in the area, they said.
The sources also pointed out that joint patrol by Coast
Guard and Sri Lankan Navy could not be possible because it has
"other implications".
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 17:21