Fisher People's DIalogue is underway ! Need experienced fishers to involve.

Northern province fisher people are having some doubts about the genuine representation of Sri Lankan fishermen who are attending the People to People dialogue on Indian-Sri Lanka fisheries issue. There are Sri Lankan fishermen leaders who had been attended the sessions since 2004 and they have much knowledge about the situation of fisheries, attitudes of the Indian fishermen, how they arrived at any consensus at the previous meeting, how rough the dialogues were and also what we expect as a nation are important matter at the negotiation table. However, I am not clear what is having Sri Lankan side to offer, as our authorities were claiming that, we do not want to allow any of the Indian fishing vessel to enter in to SL waters. It is important to have a prior collective meeting among the Sri Lankan authorities and Sri Lankan fishermen as there should be one voice to demand from the owners of Indian Trawler companies and the destructive fishing gear operators in Palk Bay, Gulf of Mannar as well as at Bay of Bengal as a large marine eco- system. The devastation took place since the mechanization began in Indian side, may be around 1970's. The small scale fishers from Indian waters were also agitated against this destructive fishing gear, which is harmful tropical country eco systems once it was introduced. However, the businessmen and Indian fisheries authorities were not bothered about the fisher people's agitations and continued their plans which gives foreign exchange earnings from the Prawns and Beach De Mer[Sea Cucumber] catch. This is definitely an efficient fishing gear to catch those varieties. But the issue is the sustainability of fisheries and also survival of small scale fishers with the destruction. This is what the Rameshwaram small Scale fisher leaders shared with us once we were engaged in the People to People dialogue on August, 2010. Mr. Arulanandan, a fisher leader who assisted to Sri Lankan fishermen once they were arrested said. "We know this bottom trawling is a huge investment.They do not have any other way to survive unless they catch adequate fish. The boat operators are poor and marginalized groups. They do not have any other source of income as now they have destroyed their fishing grounds. That is why they cross the international Maritime Boundary Line and come to SL waters" This was highly emphasized when we had the dialogue in 2010 August too. Anyway, who ever attend the dialogue, it is a victory of people in the ground as earlier the SL fisheries authorities strongly rejected the people to people dialogue for negotiations and better solution. No, they have turned by 180 degrees and promote the dialogues. Herman