www.uninews.com

Foreign poachers in Andaman put pressure

Port Blair, Aug 9 (UNI)

Foreign poachers, who are stranded in Andaman Islands after serving their sentences in Indian jails, are now pressurising the Authorities demanding more freedom in the Island.

More than 300 foreign poachers lodged in poacher’s camp in Protherapur village of South Andaman under ’restriction order’ since years are now growing restless.

‘‘They want to go out freely and do small business, which is not permissible,’’ said Andaman’s Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh.

These poachers are mainly from counties like Burma and Indonesia while a few are from Bangladesh. The Indian government is waiting for action from the government of their respective countries to take them back.

‘‘Recently they staged a hunger strike for two days, complaining about their food and freedom to go out anywhere. The strike was totally unqualified as food given to them is of better standard than food given to the prisoners of our own country despite the fact that they are criminals and disobeyed the law of our country, damaged coral reefs, did poaching in our waters and smuggled marine wealth of our country,’’ Mr Singh said.

‘‘When we told them that no country would permit criminals of other country to roam around freely they understood and called back the hunger strike,’’ the SP told UNI in Port Blair.

According to Mr Singh these poachers are given rice, chapatthi, fish, vegetables and meat regularly but permission for doing business can not be given to them ’unless the law is amended’.

Andaman and Nicobar are a group of 572 small and big islands stretched in Bay of Bengal over an area of 8249 sq kms. These islands have an Exclusive Economic Zone of six lakh Sq Kms in sea which is one forth of India’s EEZ of 22 lakh Sq Km.

Hundreds of poachers are apprehended every year for poaching in Indian EEZ by Coast Guard and Indian Navy.