The way forward on Katchatheevu, Palk Strait disputes, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• During PM Modi's visit to Colombo in April 2025, the fisheries crisis in the Palk Straits and the sovereignty of Katchatheevu island were revisited.
• Bottom trawling, banned by Sri Lanka in 2017, continues by Indian vessels, damaging marine ecosystems.
• The 1974 India-Sri Lanka Maritime Boundary Treaty placed Katchatheevu in Sri Lankan waters, a legally binding agreement.
• UNCLOS encourages cooperation in semi-enclosed seas like the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar, mandating joint resource management.

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Detailed Insights:

• Fishing communities have shared the Palk Straits for centuries, but disputes are intensified by mechanized bottom trawling by Indian vessels in Sri Lankan waters.
• Tamil Nadu's smaller artisanal fishers suffer due to the depletion of near-shore resources by the trawler industry, forcing them into contested waters.
• A sustainable resolution requires distinguishing between the needs of artisanal fishers and trawler operators, with regulated access for Tamil Nadu’s small fishers until India’s stocks recover.
• Katchatheevu is a tiny uninhabited islet in the Palk Straits, with the 1974 boundary settlement legally placing it in Sri Lankan waters.
• India weighed historic evidence of sovereignty before deciding on Katchatheevu, with records showing Sri Lankan administrative control dating back to Portuguese and Dutch rule.
• The Palk Straits and adjacent waters were recognized as “historic waters” under Indian and Sri Lankan law, with no “right of innocent passage” or third-state fishing rights without explicit consent.
• India and Sri Lanka could implement frameworks such as equitable quotas for fishing days and catch, and promote deep-sea fishing in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• The way forward involves government-to-government talks, State/Provincial engagement involving Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council, and community dialogue.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Bottom Trawling: A destructive fishing practice that drags heavy nets across the sea floor, damaging ecosystems.
• Pacta Sunt Servanda: A fundamental principle of international law that treaties are binding and must be performed in good faith.
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): A sea zone prescribed by UNCLOS where a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.