Parliament is to pass laws banning bottom trawling in Sri Lankan waters next month.
With the passage of the legislation, Sri Lanka will recognise fishing operations utilising trawl nets as a punishable offence.
A Bill to amend Section 28 of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act, No.2 of 1996, will be moved for this purpose by Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera on July 6.
According to the Bill, “fishing operations utilising Trawl Nets towed by motorized or mechanized fishing boats and the sale, import and transport of such nets and the issuance of licenses relating to utilization of such nets will be prohibited”.
However, concerns have already been raised that the Bill proposes very lenient punishments for those who are found to be guilty of the offense. The Bill only proposes a jail sentence for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not less than Rs.50,000 for persons convicted by the court for violating the above mentioned law. “Those who engage in bottom trawling in Sri Lanka are businessmen and they make huge profits. Lenient punishments would encourage them to continue the offense than discourage them,” JVP Parliamentarian Nihal Galappatti pointed out.
Ministry Secretary W.M.R.Adikari speaking to the Daily News said attention has been paid to increase the minimum fine during the Committee Stage of the Bill in the House. “An Amendment to increase the fine from Rs.50,000 to Rs.500,000 is being considered,” she said.MP Galappatti also told the Daily News that the Bill does not cover the foreign trawlers engaging in fishing in Lankan waters. Replying to this concern, the Ministry Secretary said officially banning the use of trawl nets in Lankan waters would in turn make the Indian trawlers culprits for two offenses, namely for trespassing the borders and engaging in an illegal method of fishing. She also said an Amendment to Fisheries (Regulation of Foreign Fishing Boats) Act No.59 of 1979 would be in the House in another two weeks’ time, adding that it has proposed significant increase of fines upto Rs.100 million on foreign vessels engaging in illegal fishing in Lankan waters.
“This legislation, which is at the Attorney General’s Department, has provided sufficient teeth to act against foreign vessels poaching in Lankan waters,” she added.
The legislation to ban bottom trawling was compiled incorporating details of the private members bill presented to the House by TNA MP M.A.Sumanthiran in April 2015.