News
Navy Commander explains persistent problem of large number of Indian vessels poaching in SL waters
By Rathindra Kuruwita
Sri Lanka has a 5,000-boat strong high seas fishing fleet which can go up to 2,000 nautical miles away from Sri Lanka, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera said.In contrast, the Indian fishing industry, while not as technologically advanced, has expanded to a point of being unsustainable, he said.
“They have a large number of boats, but they can operate only in their coastal seas and then they poach in our territorial waters using disastrous mechanized bottom trawling techniques,” he said.
Vice Admiral Perera highlighted that the Indian fishing industry has expanded beyond a sustainable capacity. Typically, Indian fishermen, operating within their own waters, are permitted to fish on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. He noted that, in a few weeks, they will suspend fishing for a three-month period, allowing fish to breed and replenish the ocean.
“However, Indian fishing boats who claim to engage in high seas fishing face no such restrictions. However, instead of going into the high seas these vessels come to Sri Lankan waters and poach here. The area around Delft Island and in the five to 10 nautical mile shallow seas off Point Pedro have a lot of crabs and prawns. This is a high value yield. Sri Lankan vessels go into the high seas and catch tuna, which brings a lot of money. During meetings with Indian counterparts, our Ministry officials asked Indians why they can’t also follow suit,” he said.
Vice Admiral Perera emphasized that Sri Lankan fishing is subject to rigorous regulations. Fishermen based in Sri Lanka’s North are not equipped for high-seas operations; instead, their focus remains on harvesting prawns and crabs, the Navy commander said.
“Compared to South, East and North Central provinces where fishermen are more likely to engage in high seas fishing, there are only a few fisheries harbours in the North. Myliddy Fishery Harbour is the only place the Northern fishermen must dock large boats. One also needs to have other supporting industries in place for high seas fishing, and these, too, are lacking in the North,” he said.
Indian fishermen also destroy large quantities of equipment of Northern fishermen, he said, adding that he Navy has apprehended 15 Indian trawlers along with 110 of their fishermen in Sri Lankan waters so far in 2024.
“This has not put an end to Indian poaching. When we make arrests, they stop coming for a week or two but return in numbers later. On Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays there are about 400 Indian fishing vessels poaching in Sri Lankan waters around Katchatheevu Island. Another 200 operate around KKS and in the East on those days. So, on average around 600 Indian vessels poach in our waters on Saturdays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. We can’t stop them by using excessive force,” he said.
The Navy commander added that the Navy can’t stop such a large number of Indian vessels with three or four boats. This can only be stopped through a change in the way Indians practice their craft.
“It is not practically possible to seize hundreds of fishing vessels. Also these arrests lead to political implications. We must think of everything.”
The relationship between Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen have deteriorated, too, he said. However, the tensions so far are limited to South India and Sri Lanka’s North.
The Navy commander went on to say that this is not an indication of tensions between India and Sri Lanka. “But the solution to this problem seems far off unless the Indians change their practices,” he said.
The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has found that there were fake documents regarding the importing of medicines under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023.
This was revealed during a COPE meeting held at Parliament probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
NMRA CEO Saveen Semage told the committee that several fake documents have been found due to the lack of registration of medicines.
Stating that six such fake documents were found last year alone, Semage said he had recorded statements regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
He revealed that, however, no investigations have been conducted yet into the incidents.
“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also revealed that the highest number of waive-off registrations (WOR) for medicines had been obtained in 2022 and 2023.
He said 656 such WORs had been obtained in 2022 and 261 in 2023, adding that this proves that discrepancies have taken place during the emergency procurement of medicines during these periods.
Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, Dr. G. Wijesuriya said discussions are underway on allowing the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines.He pointed out that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard as a solution to mitigate such discrepancies.
The Batalanda Commission report was tabled in Parliament on Friday by the Leader of the House and Transport Minister, Bimal Ratnayake.
Minister Ratnayake announced that the government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice. Additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to provide guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the findings of the report.
Ratnayake said that the Cabinet of Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report. He reassured the public that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated.
Minister Ratnayake said that a two-day debate on the Batalanda Commission report will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time, allowing for a detailed discussion on the report’s findings and recommendations.
The report, which will be printed in all three official languages—Sinhala, Tamil, and English—will be made available to the public in the near future. Ratnayake confirmed that printed copies would be provided to members of Parliament as well as the general public for their review.
The Leader of the House further revealed that there are 28 evidence volumes associated with the commission’s work, which will be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny.
Ratnayake said that as entire country concerned of the Batalanda Commission’s findings, the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised and preventing future atrocities stands clear. The next steps, including legal action and policy recommendations, will be shaped by expert advice and informed parliamentary discussions, he said.
Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe on Friday (14) emphasized the importance of promoting a sustainable and cost-effective construction industry in the country, highlighting key challenges and opportunities in the sector.
Speaking at ‘Construction Expo 2025’, Dr. Weerasinghe underscored the need for Sri Lanka to align with global trends in sustainable construction, integrating cost-effective energy solutions and eco-friendly building practices.
“I must say my views here are not necessarily as Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, but as a person looking at this construction industry and how this can be developed and what the issues are. Sustainability in construction is essential, not just for new projects but also for existing buildings,” he noted.
Dr. Weerasinghe acknowledged that the construction sector has been one of the hardest-hit industries due to multiple economic pressures in recent years including the decline in public investments, high material costs and the industry being dependent on government projects.
The CBSL Governor, who acknowledged that the government faced fiscal constraints, limiting infrastructure spending and delaying payments to contractors, said that however, the outstanding arrears had now been settled.
“Government did not have space to spend money for public investment, especially construction that had a significant impact on the industry in the last couple of years, plus the government inability to pay the arrears for a long period. That was an issue we all recognize that has been one of the adverse impacts the industry had in the past”, he expressed.
“Also the cost of materials went up significantly, partly because of foreign exchange shortages. As a result, the shortage had shot up the prices of construction materials, as well as depreciation of the currency, high interest rates, finance costs, and other factors. We all recognize that it had an adverse impact on the industry. It’s one of the worst affected industries because of all these factors.”
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