The Hon. Imran Maharoof

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member. As an MP representing Trincomalee, I wish to raise several fisheries-related matters for the Hon. Minister’s attention.

¶ 02 On ring seine (surukku valai) use in Trincomalee: the Hon. Minister appears to have misunderstood. We do not refer to the “light coarse” nets used in the North. We refer to ring seine nets authorized by the Department of Fisheries to catch tuna. Foreign tuna schools enter the Trincomalee sea area seasonally and then exit to foreign waters. If our fishers cannot use ring seines to catch them within our waters, foreign fishers will catch them beyond.

¶ 03 Law enforcement in Trincomalee disrupts local ring-seine operations, and conflicts arise with the Navy. By current law, ring seines with 1.5-inch mesh are permitted in Trincomalee under license conditions. However, a key condition says operations must be beyond seven nautical miles from shore—without clearly defining the reference point. For example, seven nautical miles from Kinniya equates to only two nautical miles from Trincomalee. This ambiguity creates major problems. The law does not define precisely from where distances should be measured in the Koddiyar (Kooda) area. Over 200 cases per year are filed in Trincomalee related to the “seven nautical miles” issue—about 80 percent of cases.

¶ 04 It is akin to punishing a motorcyclist for a chinstrap issue without first verifying if the rider has a license. When fish are visibly close inshore, telling fishers to go beyond seven nautical miles is unfair, especially when officials themselves cannot define the starting point. Please amend these license conditions to remove ambiguity.

¶ 05 Many fishers in Kinniya, Muttur, Thoppur, Verugal, Vellaimanal, Jamaliya, Irakkandi, Kuchchaveli, Pudawaikkattu, Pulmoddai, and other areas depend on ring seines. If they cannot use them, then cancel those licenses and instead implement training programs and new technologies so they can fish productively.

¶ 06 On fuel subsidy: under President Ranil Wickremesinghe, funds were allocated to provide a six-month fuel subsidy from October 2024 to March 2025 for multi-day boat owners. In Trincomalee, only a few months’ payments were made to some owners; many have not received the remainder. Over 250 people did not receive the kerosene subsidy due to bank account number errors; correct account details have now been provided. Please ensure payments are deposited to their accounts promptly.

¶ 07 In Pulmoddai’s Kokkilai lagoon area, fishers have for over 50 years used basket traps for prawn and crab in Kokkilai kalappu. They have yet to receive permits. I raised this during the Budget Debate as well. Please coordinate with the relevant authorities to issue appropriate permits.

¶ 08 Due to heavy rains and flooding in Trincomalee, farmers, livestock rearers, and fishers have been affected. Many fishers cannot go to sea. Please provide relief. Also consider assistance for fishers’ housing, educational support for their children, and income support during off-seasons and disasters. Our fishers do not fish all 12 months; livelihoods are seasonal. Introduce new technologies to stabilize their incomes and support them during lean periods. We have discussed many issues at District Coordinating Committee meetings and reached decisions. We request favorable responses from the Minister.

¶ 09 Thank you.