The fisheries societies in Vadamaraadchi protest against Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupying Jaffna peninsula for refusing to reopen and deepen the fishing jetties in Vadamaraadchi North and East, which had been closed by SLA during war. 11,200 families living in nearly fifteen villages in Vadamaraadchi North and East depend entirely on fishing and are affected by the closure of the fishing jetties in their areas, sources in Vadamaraadchi said.
Only thirty fishing jetties are allowed to be used by the fishermen in the above villages by SLA which has closed all the others on claims of security reasons.
Meanwhile, SLA continues to insist fishermen in Valveddiththu’rai and Vadamaraadchi East to register at the coastal SLA sentry posts each time before going for fishing, subjecting them to unnecessary delay and inconvenience.
More than a thousand fishing boats have to use the thirty jetties allowed causing delay and lack of space.
Many of these fishing jetties which had been filled with stones during tsunami had been cleared of the stones and deepened by the fisher folk despite SLA restrictions. But these jetties have again been filled with stones during the recent cyclone.
The fisheries societies have appealed to the SLA authorities for permission to deepen the fishing jetties and to reopen them.
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