NAGAPATTINAM: Around 20 fishermen from Nagapattinam and Ramanathapuram arrived at Karaikal private port, on Wednesday, after being set free by Sri Lanka’s Point Pedro Court last week.
According to the Fisheries Department, four of the 20 are from Kallar fishing hamlet in Nagapattinam and the rest are from Mandapam and Ramanathapuram.
“All the fishermen had been apprehended between last August and November and charged with poaching and also for violating the international maritime boundary line,” said a senior official of the Fisheries Department.
“However, Point Pedro court has ordered to release the 20 fishermen last week. Around noon, Lankan naval personnel handed over the fishermen to Indian Coast Guard,” the official added. Though they reached the Indian maritime boundary by noon, it took around 7 hours to reach Karaikal as the sea was rough.
On arrival, the fishermen were received by Reena Selvi, Joint-Director, Fisheries department, Nagapattinam region and officials of the Fisheries Department from Ramanathapuram district were also present at the Karaikal Private Port to welcome them. The fishermen were then sent to their respective hamlets in specially arranged vehicles.