RAMANATHAPURAM: A total of 27 fishermen from Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in the nation's waters off Delft Island. Along with the fishermen, five boats were seized, which were handed over to the Sri Lankan fisheries inspector for further action.
More than 500 boats from Rameswaram and 373 boats from Mandabam ventured into the sea on Saturday.
Sources said a few of them, who were involved in fishing activities, were chased off by the Sri Lankan Navy during the night hours. Five boats, which carried 27 fishermen, were captured for allegedly violating the IMBL.
Fisheries department sources said that among the five boats that were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy, four boats were from Rameswaram and one other boat was from the Mandapam.
About 23 fishermen hailing from Thangachimadam were in the four boats from Rameswaram who were identified as Santhiya Stuvart ( 26), Binaikash (19), Kilingdan (30), Mithun (27), Preeman (33), Jeevansan (29), Kechooriyan (30), Justin (43), Mobin (21), Peristen (23), Pepin Raj (44), Jerman Sathrock (22), Robinson (19), Sagaya Penker (32), Aruldoss (53), Gunasekaran (45), Ramanathan (35), Balu (50), Kannan (30), Reegan (37), Karthick (24), Murugan (31) and Mariya Geroge (47). In the Mandabam boat, Maria Washington (49), Vairamuthu (66), Sakthivel (59) and Palusamy (68). All the arrested have been taken to Sri Lanka for further proceedings.
It is alleged that the fishermen were involved in fishing activities near Delft island violating the IMBL, after chasing off several of the boats, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 27 fishermen and five boats that were poaching in the SL water.
Notable, this has been the largest haul this year of arresting 27 fishermen and five boats from Ramanathapuram by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Fishermen association condemned the arrest of fishermen and demanded the union government take action towards releasing the fishermen as well as the boats. Also, talks should be done to solve the prolonged issues between the two nations and allow both countries' fishermen to fish freely in the waters, they said.