Tamil Nadu fishermen yesterday demanded direct talks with the Sri Lankan government and fishermen from the north in order to seek a permanent solution to the fishing issue, days after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would take stern action against Indian fishermen poaching illegally in local waters.
The Indian fishermen also insisted they are not prepared to accept decisions reached at a political level without the participation of Tamil Nadu fishermen, after the matter was raised by Rajapaksa with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi in a virtual summit held over the weekend.
The Sri Lankan government has already sought talks with Tamil Nadu on the fishermen issue after serious concerns were raised last week by local fishermen who informed the Prime Minister that they faced an annual loss of 40 million dollars due to illegal poaching by Indian fishermen.
Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said that a proposal has been put forward to discuss the matter with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
