Jaffna Tamil fishers mobilise against southern poaching, expose conduct of SL police

Eezham Tamil fishers in Vadamaraadchi East, Jaffna, took to the seas Wednesday night encircling and detaining eight sea cucumber poachers from the South. The mobilised action response from the native Tamil fishers came as the intruding divers from the South had sneaked into the seas off Kaddaik-kaadu in Vadamaraadchi East with lighting and diving equipment in three boats. The native fishers, who spotted the massive lighting, wanted to hand over the detained poachers with evidence to the fisheries authorities. But, the SL police of occupying Colombo intervened and freed the intruding southern poachers. It also turned against the Tamil fishers. The discriminatory conduct spontaneously triggered off strong reactions from the people, who demanded the SL Police to revert its position. 

Finally, the SL police had no other option handing over the poachers to SL fisheries authorities, which were under pressure from the fisheries society organisations demanding legal action.

The poachers were finally produced for legal action at the courts. 

It was the sole duty of the fisheries authorities to take action against poaching, the fisheries societies said. 

The SL Police was acting on the instruction from the occupying Sinhala navy, they accused. 

The latest occupation of the seas off Vadamaraadchi East comes after poachers, and intruding fishers from the South have almost taken over the entire coast of Eezham Tamils in the Karai-thu'raip-pattu division in the southern sector of Mullaiththeevu coast. 

The occupying SL Navy and politicians of the South are deploying export companies to exploit poor fishers from Negombo and Puththa'lam with sub-contracts. 

At the same time, the intruding poachers also target sharks with guns, the organisations representing the native fishers said. 

Such bloody fishing turning guns on the sharks drives away flocks of fishes away from the coast, depriving the livelihood of local fishers, they said.