SLN confiscates passes of Vadamaraadchi fishermen

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 January 2008, 01:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) patrol units on Vadamaraadchi seas confiscated the passes of more than one hundred fishermen Wednesday, accusing the fishermen of violating the distance limit set by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) , Fisheries Society sources in Vadamaraadchi said. The SLN told the fishermen that they will not be allowed to fish for a month as punishment, pushing the fisher families into severe economic hardship, and many towards starvation, sources added.

SLA in Jaffna laid the following conditions for fishermen fishing in Vadamraadchi:

The SLN patrol unit had confiscated the passes of the fishermen fishing in Inparuddi and Munai areas, but fishermen they adhered to SLA regulations on the distance, the sources said.

Another one hundred fishermen fishing in Jaffna lagoon also have been similarly penalized by the SLN for exceeding the fishing distance.