More Sri
Lankan Coast Guard vessels would be deployed
in the Sri Lankan Indian Maritime boundary to intercept and search Indian
fishermen who enter Sri Lankan territorial waters, Minister of Fisheries
Douglas Devananda was quoted by the Sri
Lankan media reports.
Minister
Devananda said that the Sri Lankan Navy was currently doing a great job of
protecting the country from Indian fishermen. However, the smugglers and human
traffickers operating out of India had increased and thus he asked the Coast
Guard to provide more assistance, he said.
The navy has increased patrols in the
seas off Jaffna. This has curbed poaching
“In recent
weeks, the navy has increased patrols in the seas off Jaffna. This has curbed
poaching. However, as COVId-19 spreads in India, there will be many more
attempts to enter Sri Lanka. We have to be ready.”
Meanwhile,
Mannar health Officers quarantined a Jaffna businessman who had returned to
Mannar from India in a local fishing vessel and two fishermen who operated the
boat. The businessmen had paid the two men Rs. 100,000, the police said.
The
businessman had legally travelled to India in April this year. However, he had
not been able to return due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Thus, he had
paid two fishermen from Pesalai to smuggle him out of India. The navy arrested
the three men while they were returning to Mannar and handed them over to
health officials. |