RAMANATHAPURAM: Yet another major haul in a couple of weeks, Sri Lankan Navy detained arrested 37 Indian fishermen hailing from Rameswaram for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in the island nation's waters on Saturday night. All arrested fishermen have been taken to Sri Lanka for further legal action
After almost two weeks of strike for condemning the arrest of 27 Indian fishermen, considering the welfare of fishing workers the strike was withdrawn temporarily and about 463 boats from Rameswaram went to the sea on Saturday. Sources said few of them, involved in fishing, were chased away by the Sri Lankan navy at nighttime and have arrested a couple of fishermen for alleged violation of IMBL.
Fisheries department official stated that so far about 37 fishermen hailing from Rameswaram who went to the sea in 5 boats were detained for allegedly violating the IMBL. All fishermen are hailing from Rameshwaram, Pamban and Thangachimadam area respectively.
Sri Lankan Navy sources said that in an operations, the North Central Naval Command and Northern Naval Command deployed its Fast Attack Craft, Inshore Patrol Craft and small craft to chase away a cluster of Indian poaching trawlers, after having spotted they were engaging in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters on 28th Oct and this morning (29th Oct).
In these operations, the North Central Naval Command held 3 Indian poaching trawlers that continued to remain in island waters off Mannar, with 23 Indian fishers aboard. In the same vein the Northern Naval Command apprehended 2 Indian poaching trawlers with 14 Indian fishermen who were poaching near the Delft Island.
The apprehended Indian fishermen (37) and the poaching trawlers (05) were brought to the Talaimannar Pier and Kankasanthurai harbour and they will be handed over to the Talaimannar and Jaffna Fisheries Inspectors for onward legal action.
Including the poaching trawlers held in this operation, the Sri Lanka Navy has seized 27 Indian poaching trawlers and apprehended 174 Indian fishermen thus far in 2023.
Fishermen association condemned the repeated action of the SL Navy in arresting the Indian fishermen. Already the arrested 27 fishermen have not been released and not 16 more have been arrested by the SL Navy. The association presses the union government to address the issue and take action towards immediate release of arrested fishermen and their boats. They stated that over the years hundreds of Indian boats are kept in the SL govt possession.
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CHENNAI: CM MK Stalin on Sunday wrote to Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar flagging the arrest of 37 Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan navy. He urged the union government to take diplomatic initiatives to secure the release of the fishermen and their five boats.
In his letter, Stalin said they are completely dependent on fishing activity for livelihood and such frequent arrests are causing immense distress and suffering to the community. The chief minister also highlighted the alarming frequency of such arrests — in October 2023 alone, 64 Tamil Nadu fishermen have been arrested by Sri Lankan navy and 10 boats have been seized.
Despite persistent appeals to ens such incidents, the predicament of Tamil fishermen continues. Such acts have created panic amid fishermen families, Stalin said, adding that Tamil Nadu fishermen have a feeling that their voices are not being heard by the authorities. Stalin also called upon the union minister to safeguard the traditional fishing rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen in the Palk Bay region.