By SHIHAR ANEEZ in The Economy Next, Oct 19, 2023
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka needs to carefully navigate the fisheries industry in the Northern sea between India and China, the State Fisheries Minister said, as Beijing’s sea cucumber business is growing with more revenue amid increasing security concerns by Delhi and poaching of Indian fishermen.
Hundreds of fishermen in Sri Lanka’s former northern war zone have switched to sea cucumber farming, a booming trade, in the coastal belt of Jaffna and Kilinochchi where a Chinese firm started a hatchery seven years ago.
Depletion of fish resources in the Northern sea in the face of continuous Indian bottom trawling, a method of banned fishing that involves dragging heavy weighted nets across the sea floor, has pushed some Northern fishermen to take up Chinese funded sea cucumber farming.
Sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy in the Far East, with a majority of consumers in markets like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Malaysia. In China, high quality specimens can occasionally fetch over $3,000 per kilogram after being cooked.
“Only China identified it correctly. It is Chinese who consume sea cucumbers. So they have the demand,” State Fisheries Minister Piyal Nishantha told EconomyNext.
“It’s a good business. It’s a delicious food. They (Chinese) have now captured the market. India does not consume sea cucumbers.”
China had been long awaiting an entry into Sri Lanka’s former northern war zone to strengthen its foothold in Sri Lanka, analysts and government officials have said.
However, the Chinese sea cucumber project has stirred Delhi authorities which have raised security concerns with the Sri Lankan government. Sri Lanka’s North is just 27 km from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Minister Nishantha acknowledged that President Ranil Wickremesinghe government is aware of the issue in the Northern sea.
“China gives us more revenue. So we need to carefully navigate between the two countries,” he said.
FREE NETS, DIESEL, KEROSENE
Since the start of the sea cucumber project, China has donated fishing equipment including nets and diesel to Jaffna fishermen. This week, Beijing gave away kerosene for fishermen in the North, a facility which is expected to extend to the fishermen in the other part of the country as well.
Political analysts have said the move could be an effort to win the hearts of Northern Sri Lankan fishermen who have been suffering due to poaching and bottom trawling by Indian fishermen.
Sri Lanka Navy arrested 27 Indian fishermen and seized their five trawlers in separate operations on Saturday (14) for breaching the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and illegally fishing in the island’s waters.
“Indian fishermen invade Sri Lankan waters for illegal fishing and that has been there for decades. We have an issue with the method they use for fishing,” Nishantha told reporters separately at a media briefing on Wednesday (18).
He said President Wickremesinghe during his recent Indian visit discussed with the Indian government on the issue.
“With an understanding we are implementing the law. Our navy, coastal guards, and fisheries department have been empowered to arrest those who are illegally involved in illegal fishing in our waters,” Nishantha said.
“In the past, we could not act on this issue due to the situations between the two countries. But now we have given the freedom for relevant authorities to implement the law on this issue.”
Northern fishermen have accused the Sri Lanka Government of not doing enough to curb Indian encroaching and bottom trawling.
They blame India for not taking the issue seriously and they blame their own Tamil political leadership for using the issue to their own advantage, and they blame bureaucrats for their lethargic attitudes. https://economynext.com/sri-lanka-has-to-navigate-northern-fisheries-between-india-and-china-minister-135958/
