RAMANATHAPURAM: In the early hours of Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested seven fishermen from Rameswaram for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and detained two mechanized fishing boats.
According to fisheries officials, the boats owned by Simson of Thangachimadam and Sasikumar of Rameswaram had set out for fishing on March 25 before being intercepted by Sri Lankan naval personnel the following morning.
The seven arrested fishermen have been identified as C Srinivasan (48) of Kothandam Karaiyur, R Jebastiyan (40) of Soosaiyapparpattinam in Thangachimadam, A Soosai Viyakulam (50) of Iyyanthoppu in Thangachimadam, A Abraham (23) of Soosaiyapparpattinam in Thangachimadam, K Kumaraiya Karuppaiya (54) of Vannathiyendal in Virudhunagar, M Ramar (38) of Pulithevar Nagar in Rameswaram, and V Veeranan also of Pulithevar Nagar.
The detainees were taken to Sri Lanka for legal proceedings. Fisheries department officials noted that around 400 mechanized boats had departed from Rameswaram fishing harbor on Tuesday, and added that details of the incident have been forwarded to the department for further action.
Fishermen associations in Rameswaram have condemned the arrests and urged the Union government to intervene for the immediate release of both the fishermen and their boats.