RAMESHWARAM: Srilankan Navy arrested four fishermen for allegedly involving in fishing by violating the maritime border on Tuesday. The boat which the fishermen were using was also seized by the Srilankan Navy.
According to the Fisheries department, one mechanised boat from Rameshwaran consisting of four fishermen who are identified as Vignesh (26), Arikrishnan (49), Chinnamuniyan (65) and Murugan (42) all are residents of Rameshwaram area ventured into the sea on Monday night.
Later in the wee hours of Tuesday, the boat from Rameshwaran consisting of 4 fishermen was arrested by the Srilankan Navy area for alleged violation of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) near the Katchatheevu.
Official sources said that the arrested 4 fishermen along with their boat were taken to Mailadi harbour in Sri Lanka, they are expected to be handed over to the fisheries inspector in Jaffna for further legal action.
According to the information released by the Sri Lankan Navy, the Sri Lanka Navy caught an Indian trawler consisting of 04 Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters south of Delft Island during a patrol carried out on Monday.
Sri Lanka Navy has been conducting regular patrols and operations to curb illegal fishing activities of foreign fishermen. During the patrol carried out by a Fast Attack Craft of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla (4 FAF) in seas south of the Delft Island. The Navy took hold of the Indian trawler with 04 Indian fishermen who were ‘bottom trawling’ in island waters, through the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
It is to be noted that earlier on March 23, Srilankan Navy arrested 16 Indian fishermen and seized their two boats for fishing at islands of Delft in Jaffna and Iranativu in Mannar violating the maritime border.
Following the arrest of Indian fishermen for the second time in one week, the fishermen associations in Rameshwaram condemned the actions of the Sri Lankan Navy and urged action for immediate release of all the arrested Indian fishermen and their vessels (Boats) that were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy.