Banned fishing method makes a comeback in South

Today I got a disturbing message from Manel Perera of Asia News. After years of struggle we received great achievement July 21st 2009 with the Supreme Court order on our request.
We quoted this from Daily Mirror and want to share with our colleagues.
This shows how we need to work strategically to achieve our goal on destructive fishing.
Herman Kumara.

The credit goes to Achala Dissanayake of Daily Mirror.

05 January 2010 - Dailymirror - online

Linkf - http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections /frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=72654

Light course fishing, a fishing method made illegal through a court order, raised its head again in December and is still prevalent on the coastal stretch between Hikkaduwa and Ahungalla, according to Senior Environmentalist, Jagath Gunawardena.

Gunawardena told Daily Mirror that light course fishing which ultimately results in over kill, was made illegal in 1995 through a court order as this method of fishing results in the over exploitation of fisheries resources.

Assistant Director of the Fisheries Department of the Southern Province, H.L.G Ramyasiri explained that light course fishing was banned and the authorities have been asked to crack down on such activities and penalize those still carrying on with this method of fishing, while court cases are also expected to be brought against these errant fishermen. He added that Department officials had also been besieged with threats from the people who are engaged in these fishing methods.

Ramyasiri noted that this method of fishing was made illegal due to socio economic factors. “Light course fishing is a method of fishing used extensively in Japan, and is carried out with the aid of battery powered lights which are used underwater to distract the fish, leading them to escape and therefore be caught easily.