SLN patrol crafts damage fishing nets, fishermen complain

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 07:40 GMT]
Jaffna District Fisheries Cooperatives Federation (JDFCF) Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that their fishing nets cast along the coast of northern sea are frequently damaged by speeding Sri Lanka navy patrol crafts, fisheries sources said.

Fishermen are sustaining heavy losses due to the damages caused to the fishing nets. As most of the fishermen are affected by tsunami they do not have financial resources to purchase nets and other fishing gear replacing the damaged ones, the complaint further stated.

"We appeal to the SLMM to take appropriate steps to safeguard the fishing nets from being destroyed by SLN patrol crafts," the JDFCF said in its complaint.