RAMANATHAPURAM: Three fishermen from Rameswaram were apprehended along with their mechanised fishing boat by the Sri Lankan Navy in the wee hours of Tuesday.
According to fisheries department sources, more than 350 boats from the Rameswaram fishing harbour ventured into the sea for fishing on Monday night.
A mechanised fishing boat bearing registration number IND-TN-10-MM-2469, owned by R. Kirasiyan, a resident of Thangachimadam, and carrying three fishermen from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam, had gone out to sea. Reportedly, the fishing vessel entered Sri Lankan waters and was intercepted and apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy in the early hours of Tuesday for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The three arrested fishermen, along with their boat, were taken to Sri Lanka for further legal proceedings.
The fisheries department identified the apprehended fishermen as Rooban A (47) of Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Pamban in Rameswaram; Prabhu K (49) from Thangachimadam, Rameswaram; and Nagaraj A (47) of Gothandam Karaiyur in Rameswaram, officials said.
The incident has once again raised concerns among fishermen in the coastal belt of Ramanathapuram district, where frequent apprehensions by the Sri Lankan Navy continue to affect the livelihoods of the fishing community.
Notably, this is the third such incident in recent weeks. Earlier, on December 23, a boat with 12 fishermen from Rameswaram was apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. Later, on December 28, another boat with three fishermen from Mandapam was seized for IMBL violation.
Fishermen’s associations expressed condemnation over the continuing arrests and urged the Central Government to engage with the Sri Lankan Government to address the prolonged issue. They also demanded the immediate release of all Indian fishermen and their boats.