Construction of fishing centre for Southern fishermen in Mannaar suspended due to protest

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 July 2010, 18:49 GMT]
The construction of a fishing jetty and a cooler facility for Sinhalese fishermen from South that was begun in Naachchikkudaa coast in Mannaar district with the support Sri Lanka government top officials was suspended as the local fishermen organizations had raised their strong protest, sources in Mannaar said. The above constructions were begun in the Nachchikkudaa coast where uprooted civilians were allowed to resettle.



The resettled civilians had already constructed their fishing huts on the coast of Naachchikkudaa.

It is alleged that Trincomalee district Sinhala parliamentarian and the Deputy Minister of Sri Lanka Ministry of Fisheries Punchinilame is in the background of the scheme to settle Sinhala fishermen on the coast of Naachchikkudaa, representatives of local fishermen societies said.

On the instructions of the deputy minister, Fisheries Corporation in Peasaalai in Mannaar had transported the needed components and other material in the last week, they further informed.

The effort to bring in Southern Sinhala fishermen to Mannaar, one among many similar projects, show the keen interest of the Southern Sinhala fishermen to encroach Northern seas, the sources said.