Indo – Lanka Fishery Issues: Traditional and Human Security Implications

Abstract

The International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) demarcates and designates the waters between India and Sri Lanka. Even though, both countries ratified bilateral agreements governed by United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea (UNCLOS) in 1974 and 1976 yet conflicting situations regarding fishery concerns have been persistent, causing traditional and human security implications. This situation has coloured relations between the two states. From a traditional security perspective crossing of IMBL leads to security implications on citizens, border, territorial, and sovereignty and human security implications like food, livelihood, environment and economy. This study examines the geostrategic relationship of the two states concerning the Indian Ocean, and the fishery problem. Security is an approach to understanding relations between states. While Traditional security views state as the single actor to ensure survival internationally, Human security is a new concept. Research objective - establish/examine traditional and human security implications due to Indo– Lanka fishery issues, and to analyze the unresolved fishery conflict with a view for a solution. Qualitative research methods would be adopted with an exception of quantitative methods when required to prove validation of data, a mixed method in nature. The research design – to be carried out by analyzing existing literature subjective to qualitative analysis. Empirical studies carried out by scholars, fishery organizations, focus / pressure groups, use of statistics and data published by recognized institutions (authoritative sources) to be used. Qualitative data would be collected from well-informed individuals such as academics and policy makers. Method of data collection would be semi-structured interviews done informally. In the light of contemporary understanding of security, traditional as well as human, this research will focus on importance of addressing persistent fishery issues with a view to seek lasting solutions that would benefit fishers of Sri Lanka in North and East. From this perspective the study is unique and is believed that the effort would contribute to existing body of knowledge.