Saturday, Mar 15, 2003
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Tamil Nadu
By V. Jayanth
Just as the issue in the southern waters is being contained, Pakistan has detained another 32 fishermen in the Arabian Sea, signalling the complexity of the problem. Officials explain that it has more to do with marine wealth. "When a group of fishermen is put to sea, it does not normally return empty-handed. They keep going till they get the catch and they are not usually bound by the laws of the seas or contained by invisible international boundaries in the waters. They go naturally to where they can find the fish," says a senior official of the Fisheries department here. The fishermen, particularly in the southern and eastern waters, with which Tamil Nadu is basically concerned, were first hampered by the `ban on fishing' during the `breeding season', and when they were out in sea, they could not be restricted to Indian waters, says the official. With no clearly-marked international boundary line, the fishermen could not bother about where they were, in their anxiety to get the catch. Fishermen's associations in Rameswaram have raised the controversy over the `gift' of Katchatheevu made to Sri Lanka some two decades ago. The problem was not so acute till the last season as Sri Lankan fishermen were not allowed in the northern waters for security reasons — the running battle between the island government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. With the lifting of the ban, the Sri Lankan fishermen, in large numbers, were out in their northern waters this season. And when they found their Tamil Nadu counterparts straying into the waters, they did not just act but also reportedly beat up some persons in a couple of incidents. The Tamil Nadu fishermen were surprised at this reaction as they had in the past faced only the wrath of only the Sri Lankan Navy. Given the traditionally close and friendly ties, the behaviour of the Pesalai or Mannar fishermen has really jolted their friends from Rameswaram. Asked about the demands of the Rameswaram fishermen and their agitation plan, officials here say that since these are "bilateral issues", involving two countries, there can be no quick-fix or across-the-table solution. "Even the prompt release of the detained fishermen was a major achievement now. Many of the boats have also been released. We have got back some of the Pudukottai fishermen and those from adjoining areas, who were held earlier. Of course, the discussions will continue. We will keep in touch with the Centre, our mission in Colombo and the Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission", explains a senior official. The Navy, Coast Guard and the Inspector-General of Police (Costal Security) have made their assessment of the `ground realities' along the coast and their inputs may be useful in evolving a policy approach to fishing in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, they cannot always implement that policy because in the seas, the fishermen are on their own and there can be no `policing'. Even if the Navy or Coast Guard steps up its presence during the season, the coastline is so long and porous, that it will be impossible to contain them. A tripartite meeting, perhaps even on Katchatheevu, involving the two countries and the fishermen, on the eve of the `season' to lay down the ground rules, could help.
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