Page 155 - MDSL Final

CONCEPTS AND APPLICATION OF MARITIME POWER
to mariners for all vessels to keep well clear of the coastline when sailing
around our island. Thus, surveillance and monitoring of our maritime
space is essential even if there is no existing or visible threat as non-
governance will create room for non-state actors especially, to dominate
same.

LTTE Sea Tigers mined the open seas and placed Limpet
Mines on Merchant Vessels causing a serious threat to
the trade flow.

As an island nation the significance of protecting the maritime domain
by effectively utilizing the Navy, the Coast Guard and other maritime
protection agencies is of paramount to counter following possible
maritime security threats/challenges:

• Possible surface, air and underwater attacks against naval
vessels, shipping, critical maritime infrastructures, maritime
assets: ports and offshore installations.
• Disruption of fishing activities, kidnapping of fishermen and
hijacking of their vessels.
• Maritime piracy.
• Disruption of maritime research and exploration activities.
• Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks in the
maritime domain or act as a mode of transportation for
proliferation of the same.
• IUU fishing/poaching by foreign fishing vessels in Sri Lankan
waters.
• Activities that cause intentional damages to the ecosystems;
such as pollution caused by discharging of effluents and by
employing unauthorised fishing methods.
• Smuggling and transportation of contrabands.
• Gun running and transportation of warlike materiel used for
mass destruction.
• Fund generating activities of terrorist organisations using
rogue ships for ‘Narco-terrorism’.

To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea 137