A high-level meeting on tackling illegal fishing was held at the Parliament Complex, the Ministry of Defence said.

The discussion was jointly chaired by Harshana Nanayakkara, Aruna Jayasekara and Rathna Gamage.

Talks focused on strengthening action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including poaching by local and foreign vessels, bottom trawling, unauthorized radio frequency use, and smuggling under the guise of fishing.

Special attention was given to suspending the fishing licences of local vessels that deliberately disable their Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to engage in unlawful fishing or illegal diving activities.

The meeting included representatives from the Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Police, Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Department of Coastal Conservation and Coastal Resources Management, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Customs.

Authorities reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing maritime security, improving inter-agency coordination, and ensuring sustainable management of marine resources.