13 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy, motorboats seized
Sri Lankan Navy has seized the three motorboats that the fishermen were on. It has been reported that the 13 arrested fishermen will be taken to Kankesanthurai port.
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CHENNAI: The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 13 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were fishing near Neduntheevu Island.
The fishermen had set out from the Pudukkottai fishing port in three motorboats.
They were fishing near Neduntheevu when the Sri Lankan Navy arrested them for alleged violation of the International Maritime Border Line, a report from the Daily Thanthi said.
Their the three motorboats were seized, too.
The 13 arrested fishermen will be taken to Kankesanthurai port for investigation.
With this, the total number of such arrests have gone up to over 200 this year.
The majority of these incidents happen in the Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka’s northern tip, which is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the Sri Lanka Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats for illegally entering Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.
In the last week of June, the Sri Lankan Navy had apprehended 22 fishermen from Ramanathapuram's Thangachimadam village for fishing near Neduntheevu in Sri Lankan waters, according to the Rameswaram Fishermen Association. Their three boats were seized, too.
After this incident, Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to secure the release of all fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
He further requested his immediate intervention to convene the Joint Working Group to prevent further arrests and secure the release of all fishermen and fishing boats currently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities.
Stalin said that such incidents disrupt the livelihood of the fishermen and instill a sense of fear and uncertainty in their entire community.
Responding to Stalin, Jaishankar said the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up such cases for the early release of those detained.
Jaishankar assured Stalin that efforts to address the interests of the Indian fishing community would continue.
(with inputs from ANI & PTI)