RAMANATHAPURAM: As many as nine Indian fishermen from Mandabam in Ramanathapuram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in the island nation's waters of Delft Island near Neduntheevu. Along with the fishermen, two boats were seized, which were handed over to the Mailadi fisheries inspector for further action.
About 350 boats from Mandabam and Kovilvadi had ventured into the sea on Monday. Sources said a few of them, who were involved in fishing activities, were chased off by the Sri Lankan Navy during the night hours. Two boats, which carried five and four fishermen respectively, were captured for allegedly violating the IMBL.
Fisheries department sources said that the fishermen in the first boat are identified as Suresh (36), Manikandan (35), Arumugam (44) and Muthukumar (36) and in the second boat Jayaseelan (53), Velu (53), Muthuirulandi (58), Mukammatu Pakrutheen (63) and Rangasamy (62), all hailing from Mandabam and nearby villages.
Sri Lankan Navy officials said the Navy continues to conduct regular patrols and operations in SL waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers. The Northern Naval Command, deployed Fast Attack Craft of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla and craft of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, to chase away a cluster of Indian trawlers.
In this operation, the Navy held two Indian poaching trawlers with nine Indian fishers continuing to remain in Sri Lankan waters. The seized trawlers with Indian fishermen were brought to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and they will be handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for onward legal proceedings.
Fishermen association leader Jahir from Mandabam condemned the continuing fishermen's arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy. He added that owing to such hardships many fishermen have left for other works, thus they urged the union government to solve the prolonged issues and allow the fishermen to freely carry out fishing operations. He further alleged hundreds of boats have been seized by the Lankan navy in recent years, so action towards releasing it should also be done.