Devananda: NARA has allowed bottom trawling in northern waters

Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda says that though he is strongly opposed to bottom trawling in Sri Lankan waters the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) has recommended the destructive method.

In a statement issued by the Fisheries Ministry on Monday (8), the EPDP leader was quoted as having told a gathering at his Jaffna Office on Nov 5 that approximately 400 fishing boats, based at Gurunagar, engaged in bottom trawling in selected areas.

The declaration on bottom trawling has been made amidst continuing dispute over the Indian fishing fleet carrying out large scale bottom trawling in Lankan waters (SF)