Says attacks on fishermen a larger issue

Tamil Nadu has been a model State of sorts for coastal security, said Admiral Nirmal Verma, Chief of Naval Staff.

Tamil Nadu has been exposed to what could happen from the sea from the late 1980s and 1990s.

“So the level of awareness here is much greater on what needs to be done. To that extent, Tamil Nadu is a model State of sorts for coastal security,” Mr. Verma said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

On the Navy's role in preventing attacks on Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, Mr. Verma said it was a larger issue and it was not merely a navy to navy one.

“It is something which engages the attention of our senior political hierarchy at the highest level be it the State or the Centre,” he said.

“There are problems in the sense that if you go to any of these detachments down south where you operate radars to keep track, you find that there is large movement of vessels to areas which should not be,” he said. However, these were issues to be addressed by the joint working group and the issue figured in the joint statement between the two countries.

“One aspect is that there should not be any use of force but sometimes it happens. The issue has to be tackled by the fishing communities on two sides and the two countries. Whatever is the final enforcement mechanism to be put into place, we can implement it,” said the Chief of Naval Staff.

Earlier, the admiral inaugurated the 3 {+r} {+d} India International Regatta, reviewed coastal security aspects and briefed the Governor about maritime security.

Later, he chaired the general council meeting of the Navy Foundation, a non-political body providing facilities to those who had served and retired from the Navy. Commodore Amar K Mahadevan, Naval Officer-in-Charge (Tamil Nadu and Puducherry) accompanied the Chief of Naval Staff.