Minister of State for Fisheries Kanchana Wijesekera told Parliament yesterday (09) that the Security Council and the Navy have been informed of the increase in the number of Indian fishing vessels violating Sri Lankan territorial waters during the past few days, and measures would be taken to beef up security in the Mannar sea area and arrest the Indian fishermen who encroach on Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The Minister was responding to a question raised by Parliamentarian Charles Nirmalanathan regarding the Indian fishing trawlers encroaching in Mannar, Mullaitivu and Jaffna waters and the protest by fishermen in the Mannar District yesterday.
Wijesekara said that the Navy has been informed about this issue, adding that a large number of people had to be deployed for the special operation to douse the fire that broke out on the MT New Diamond oil tanker during the past few days. The Minister also noted that due to the prevailing Covid-19 threat there was an issue with regard to detaining Indian fishermen who are taken into custody by the Sri Lankan Navy. However, said that action would be taken in this regard in the near future.