RAMANATHAPURAM: Rameswaram fishermen on Friday intercepted a mechanised boat from Karaikal and brought it to the fishing harbour along with its 14 crew members, alleging that the vessel had intruded into Dhanushkodi waters for fishing.
Local fishermen claimed that frequent fishing by deep-sea boats from Karaikal in the region had severely affected their catch and livelihood. They also alleged that some Karaikal crews had a practice of venturing close to the Sri Lankan coast and damaging the property of Sri Lankan fishermen, leading to retaliatory arrests of Rameswaram fishermen at sea.
Fishermen associations in Rameswaram had earlier warned Karaikal boat operators against entering Dhanushkodi waters. Despite this, a Karaikal vessel was found fishing in the area on Friday, following which it was intercepted mid-sea and escorted to the Rameswaram harbour.
Fisheries department officials stated that the Karaikal-based vessel, bearing registration IND-PYE-MM-1356, had 14 crew members on board. Local fishermen brought the boat to shore and the catch was seized and auctioned in the presence of officials. The crew have been detained and authorities are initiating action under the Tamil Nadu Marine Fishing Regulation Act (TNMFRA), 1983.
Fisheries officials added that further steps are being taken to prevent recurrence of cross-border fishing by mechanised boats.