CHENNAI: Expressing serious concern over the arrest of 17 fishermen from Rameswaram along with their boats on Tuesday, Chief Minister MK Stalin urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the release of all the fishermen and their boats besides ensuring that attacks on fishermen do not occur in future.
“In 2024 alone, 530 fishermen were arrested and 71 boats have been confiscated. The recent apprehensions and attacks have created a sense of fear among fishing folk,” Stalin said in his letter to the union minister.
Stalin also recalled an attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen from Kodiyakkarai by unidentified Sri Lankan nationals on December 20.
“In this incident, three out of six fishermen who sailed in two country boats were injured and their belongings such as GPS equipment, VHF equipment, fishing net, mobile phone and catch were robbed by the attackers,” Stalin said, adding that this kind of frequent incidents make the lives of Tamil Nadu fishermen highly uncertain and dangerous.