CHENNAI: Finance and fisheries minister D. Jayakumar on Friday asserted that the state government would retrieve the traditional rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk straits. Replying to a call attention motion in the Assembly by DMK legislators K.P.P Samy, R. Raghupathy and Congress MLA Prince, he said acceding Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka was the reason for the fishermen issue. He also blamed the central and state governments in 1974 for the move and said till the Katchatheevu pact was signed the area of fishing for Indian fishermen was large.
After the agreement, the area of fishing for Lankan fishermen had increased and the area of Indian fishing waters in the Palk Strait had been reduced. Recalling that former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa had vowed to retrieve the islet in her Independence Day speech in 1991 and had filed a case in the Supreme Court. Jayakumar said fishing near Katchatheevu is the traditional rights of fishermen, but when the Tamil Nadu fishermen go to fish near the islet, Lankan navy is taking action on them alleging that they had crossed the maritime boundary.
Referring to a letter by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to Prime Minister on the fishermen issue, the minister vowed to retrieve the traditional rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen.
