Tamil fishermen warn protest against SL military in Vadamaraadchi East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 May 2012, 15:38 GMT]
Hundreds of Sinhala fishermen, brought into Tsunami and war-ravaged Vadamaraadchi East by the occupying Sri Lanka Army and Navy, are engaging in deep-sea fishing using prohibited nets and are using dynamite for blast fishing destroying the fish, coral reefs and juveniles, complain Vadamaraadchi East Fisheries Society and Kaddaik-kaadu Fisheries Association. Angered by the illegal acts by the encroaching fishermen from South, endangering the environment of the country of Eezham Tamils and threatening their livelihood, the organizations have called for civil protests if the occupying SL military continued to harbour and entertain the encroaching fishermen from the South. The scale of destruction caused by the Sinhala fishermen was at a level that equals the destruction caused by the Indian trawlers, according to the organizations.

Recently, SL minister and paramilitary leader Douglas Devanadna who visited Vanni had to leave from a meeting after strong protests from the Tamil fishermen in Mullaith-theevu.

The Tamil fishermen challenged the EPDP leader to relocate the occupying Sinhala fishermen from Kokku'laay, before calling the Eezham Tamil fishermen against Indian poaching.

With the connivance of SLA troopers, Sinhala fishermen are involved in unlawful use of dynamite as well as catching exotic fish and harvesting conch shells.

The Sinhala fishermen, who have been brought to Vadamaraadchi East in large numbers after the Vanni war, are encouraged by the SL military to engage in deep sea fishing while Eezham Tamil fishermen are still deprived of deep sea fishing.