Lok Sabha Question No. 4351 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-11
Subject: Attack on Fishermen
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: SATYA PAL SINGH, ANBUMANI RAMADOSS, SANJAY SHAMRAO DHOTRE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK  SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4351

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH  AUGUST, 2017

## ATTACK ON FISHERMEN

4351.  DR. SATAPAL SINGH: DR. ANBUMANI RAMADOSS: SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE:

Will the Minister of DEFENCE j{kk ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Sri Lankan Navy has attacked Indian fishermen and arrested them on charges of fishery related violations during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (b) if so, the number of fishermen attacked / arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy during the said period;
- (c) whether the Indian Government has taken up the said matter with the Sri Lankan Authorities through diplomatic channels during the said period;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  and  outcome  thereof  along  with  the number  of  such  fishermen released during the said period; and
- (e) the other steps taken / being taken by the Government to curb such incidents in future?

## A    N    S    W    E    R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(DR. SUBHASH BHAMRE)

र  ा रा य मं ी

(डा. सुभाष भामरे)

(a) & (b): Instances of Indian fishermen apprehended for alleged fishing in Sri Lankan waters have been reported from time to time.  The number of fishermen  arrested  during  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  are given below:

|   S. No. | Year                    |   No. of fishermen arrested |
|----------|-------------------------|-----------------------------|
|        1 | 2014                    |                         787 |
|        2 | 2015                    |                         454 |
|        3 | 2016                    |                         290 |
|        4 | 2017 (till 3 rd August) |                         215 |

:  2  :

(c) to (e): As  soon as reports  of  apprehensions of  Indian  fishermen  are received,  Government  through  diplomatic channels,  immediately and consistently takes up the matter with the Government of Sri Lanka.  With sustained  diplomatic  efforts,  Government  could  secure  release  of  200 fishermen from Sri Lankan custody in 2017.

The  details  of  fishermen  released  in  the  last  three  years  are  given below:

|   S. No. | Year                    | No. of fishermen                |
|----------|-------------------------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | 2014                    | 1045 (273 of 2013, 772 of 2014) |
|        2 | 2015                    | 375                             |
|        3 | 2016                    | 333 (94 of 2015, 239 of 2016)   |
|        4 | 2017 (till 3 rd August) | 251 (51 of 2016, 200 of 2017)   |

To prevent such incidents, Indian Coast Guard conducts Community Interaction Programmes to sensitize fishermen among other issues on the perils of cross border fishing.  Regular surveillance sorties and patrols by Indian  Coast  Guard  /  Indian  Naval  ships  &  aircrafts  are  undertaken  to protect Indian fishing boats from crossing International Maritime Boundary Line  (IMBL).    The  surveillance  efforts  are  supplemented  by  shore  based surveillance through 'Chain of Static Sensors'.

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