Sri Lanka seeks safe passage for multi-day vessels

Sri Lanka has sought assistance from India to ensure safe passage through Indian waters for Sri Lankan multi-day vessels travelling to and from the Arabian Sea.

This request was made during the sixth Officers Level Meeting of the Joint Working Group on fisheries between India and Sri Lanka which concluded in Colombo on Tuesday.

“Sri Lanka urged for swift action on the request for safe passage through Indian waters for Sri Lankan multi-day vessels traveling to and from the Arabian Sea,” the Government Information Department said.

The representatives of the two countries had discussed the strengthening of joint patrolling of the law enforcement authorities of both countries to prevent the entry of Indian vessels into Sri Lankan waters.

They had also discussed about the expeditious release of fishermen arrested by both countries after completion of legal proceedings, strengthening of hotline maintained by coast guards of both countries, the status of investigations into deaths of Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan waters and conducting of joint research related to the fisheries sector by the research institute of both countries.

The Sri Lankan delegation had emphasised the severe damage caused to marine resources by Indian fishing vessels using mechanical bottom-trawling in Sri Lankan waters. Both sides had agreed to hold regular meetings of the Joint Working Group on Fisheries and monitor the progress of the agreed-upon mattes.

The main objective of the working group is to prevent illegal fishing activities by Indian Fishing vessels in Sri Lankan waters in the North and East areas of Sri Lanka. The working group, which met for last time in March 2022, met again after a lapse of nearly two and half years.

The Sri Lankan delegation was comprised of several senior officials including Agriculture, Land, Livestock, Irrigation, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry Secretary M.P.N.M.Wickremasinghe, Fisheries Additional Secretary Dhammika Ranatunga, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department Director General Susantha Kahawatta, Foreign Affairs Ministry Director General Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Additional Solicitor General Vikum De Abrew, Additional Solicitor General Azad Navavi and Commodore A.D.Weerasinghe of Sri Lanka Navy, Indian Fisheries Secretary Dr.Abhilaksh Likhi, Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs of India Puneet Agarwal, Joint Secretary of Indian Fisheries Neetu Prasad and several others participated in the discussion on behalf of the Indian Government.

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