The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah
Hon. Hizbullah supported the Adjournment Motion and raised concerns about recurring robberies of deep-sea fishermen from areas including Sainthamaruthu, Oluvil, Poonochchimunai, Kattankudy, Valachchenai and Trincomalee by coastal gangs seizing fish and fishing gear. He said the Fisheries Department and local organisations had identified suspects and submitted complaints, including to the President, but legal action had been limited due to reported procedural hurdles affecting Navy intervention. He urged immediate coordination between the relevant Minister, Defence authorities and the Navy to prevent these incidents and protect affected fishermen.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
¶ 02 I support Hon. Nizam Kariapper’s Adjournment Motion. This long-standing problem is well known, including to Hon. Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar.
¶ 03 From Sainthamaruthu, Oluvil, Poonochchimunai, Kattankudy, Valachchenai up to Trincomalee, deep-sea fishermen are robbed by coastal gangs who arrive from shore, seize fish and gear. The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has even listed names—such as Kandhasamy Navaratnam and others—in communications to the Minister and the Poonochchimunai fisheries society. These gangs keep powerful 40–50 hp engines ready to go offshore and commit these crimes.
¶ 04 Despite letters sent—including by the Kattankudy Mosques Federation and fishermen’s societies—to H.E. the President titled “Complaint related to stealing of fish by sea pirates … and destruction of valuable fishing nets,” little legal action has followed. The Navy has indicated willingness to help, but letters say there are legal hurdles to act. The State Minister of Defence knows this region well from his prior service. Please coordinate immediately with Defence and the Navy to stop this, as fishermen are in great distress.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Thursday, 5 June 2025 ·No. 1750828922068945 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 5 June 2025. No. 1750828922068945. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/21378