Navy apprehends 05 persons with 1355kg of fish caught using dynamite

Naval personnel apprehended 05 suspects with a stock of fish caught using dynamite in Ralkuli area, Trincomalee on 18^th July 2019.

During a raid carried out in Ralkuli area, a group of naval personnel attached to the Eastern Naval Command apprehended these 05 suspects with 1355kg of fish caught using dynamite. When the apprehension was made, the stock of illegally caught fish was made ready to be transported by a lorry. The suspects have been identified as residents of Muththur, aged 23,27,35,37 and 42.

The apprehended persons, the stock of fish and the lorry were handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries in Trincomalee for onward action. Dynamite fishing is an illegal fishing practice which is extremely destructive to the surrounding ecosystem, as the explosion often destroys the underlying habitat that supports fish.

Sri Lanka Navy is continuously conducting operations to prevent these illegal activities taking place in Sri Lankan waters and producing those engage in such acts for necessary legal action. It is a bounden duty of all Sri Lankans to conserve maritime ecosystem as its diversity and productivity are also important for the future generation.