Several organisations of Northern fishermen have opposed to the move to allow Indian fishermen for fishing activities on humanitarian grounds in the Lankan territorial waters in the North.

Fisher folk in the Northern Province suffered immensely during the civil war period which lasted for nearly four decades in the Island. As the militant outfits engaged actively in gun running activities along with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
having its own fleet called ‘Sea Tigers’ to keep away the Lankan Navy patrols in the North and East waters, Northern fishermen were faced with severe restrictions
with regard to their deep sea fishing. Northern fishermen’s fishing activities were curtailed extensively with zones created by Lankan Navy to limit the
fishing vessels going deep into the sea.

Several Northern fishermen were killed in the cross fire between the Navy and `Sea Tigers’ in the Northern waters. Apart from faced with restrictions over fishing in the Northern waters, obtaining fuel from Colombo for fishing vessels also hampered the fishing activities of Northern fishermen.
As the Lankan Navy was all out to prevent the LTTE’s gun running activities in the Northern waters, several LTTE vessels bringing arms and ammunitions were also attacked and destroyed by Lankan Navy and Air Force in the North and East waters.
There were incidents where even fishing vessels due to misidentification were attacked by Navy patrol boats. So as the Northern fisher folk which had faced with
severe restrictions and threats before the end of North and East civil war in 2009, Indian fishing vessels had infiltrated deep into the Northern sea enjoying a bumper fishing.

Indian fishermen were not just cruising in ordinary boats. They were using high powered fishing trawlers and those fishing vessels were sweeping the bottom of the sea posing a big threat even to marine eco-system. The tussle between the Indian fishermen and Northern fishermen started with the end of civil war in the Island and

along with the removal of fishing restrictions in the North and East waters.
Following the end of civil war Northern fishermen began their fishing activities extensively and the infiltration of Indian fishermen in Lankan waters with their fishing trawlers posed a big challenge to the Northern fishermen who were gradually trying to enhance their livelihood which was hampered to a greater extent during the North and East civil war period.

Previous Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse included former Jaffna district Parliamentarian in his cabinet with offering him the portfolio of Minister of Fisheries mainly to deal with the problems faced by the Northern fishermen.
However even former Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda couldn’t do much on stopping the infiltration of Indian fishermen into the Lankan territorial waters .
During the Kachchatthivu St. Anthony’s festival period, former Minister Douglas Devananda met the Indian and Northern fishermen who had arrived at the Islet to worship St. Anthony, the deity considered as the guardian angel of sea goers.
The efforts taken by former Minister Douglas Devananda didn’t even bring any fruitful result in preventing the Indian fisher folk entering the Lankan waters.

The issue of Indian fishermen entering Lankan waters even brought to the notice of the Indian Central Government in New Delhi. But there was hardly anything to prevent the high handed activities of the Indian fishermen who were supported by certain big time fishing companies based in Tamil Nadu. In the recent years a significant number of Indian fishermen have been apprehended by Sri Lanka Navy.
Last year (2024) a record number of 535 Indian fishermen were arrested by Sri Lanka Navy. The number is nearly double the amount of previous year. 200 Indian fishing trawlers were taken into custody by Sri Lanka Navy. The Indian fishermen infiltrating the Lankan territorial waters in the North, faced with prison sentences and they were also heavily fined with each fisherman ordered to pay the fine amounting to Sri Lankan Rs. 50,000. During the recent visit of Lankan President Anurakumara Dissanayake to India, the problems faced by Northern fisher folk due to the infiltration of Indian fishermen in the Lankan waters were brought to the notice of the Indian officials.

Indian officials made a suggestion to the Lankan officials to allow the Indian fishermen to fish in the Lankan territorial waters on humanitarian grounds.

It is the suggestion by the Indian officials has made the Northern fishermen to oppose the Indian request and the Northern fisher folk is now up in arms to prevent the Indian fisher folk entering the Lankan waters at any cost. Since more development programs are expected from the National People’s Power (NPP) Government this year, the Indian fishermen’s infiltration into the Lankan waters will also come up as one of the key issues to be dealt with by the NPP regime.