Innocent Passage to enter Arabian Sea India remains unresponsive to Sri Lanka’s request

• Govt made request during President’s visit to India last year
• Passage can save 400 nautical miles for SL fishers 

By Kelum Bandara 

India remains unresponsive to the request by Sri Lanka to allow an innocent passage through the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for its fishermen to enter the Arabian Sea, a top source said.   

Sri Lanka made this request when President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India last year. The Indian route will help Lankan fishermen cut down the total distance by 400 nautical miles. Currently, they have to take a longer route via Negombo, Dikovita, Beruwala and Matara around the Maldives. 

Currently, Sri Lankan fishermen get detained by the Indian Coast Guard when they unlawfully enter Indian waters on their way to the Arabian Sea for fishing activities.   

The President embarked on a two-day visit to India in July last year, his first since taking office last year after a tumultuous period that saw the island nation’s economy tank, and protests erupt on its streets leading to ouster of former leaders.  

The two countries currently work on a number of connectivity projects including land connect and power grid connectivity. During the economic crisis, India extended financial assistance amounting to US $ 4 billion.   
However, the fisheries issue has become an irritant to the bilateral ties. Fishermen from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu indulge in poaching in Sri Lankan waters in the Palk Bay constitutes exceptionally rich fishing grounds for the fishers of India and Sri Lanka. The dispute between Indian and Sri Lankan fishers has emerged in exploiting fisheries resources, posing serious threats to the livelihoods of thousands of fishery dependents in the two countries. According to the Fisheries Ministry, hundreds of trawl boats from Tamil Nadu enter the Sri Lankan waters and carry out fishing activities.   

 The two countries have remained engaged with each other to resolve the dispute, at least by encouraging fishermen to venture out to international waters, but there is no solution in sight.