Find permanent solution to avoid fishermen arrests by Sri Lanka: Anbumani to DMK govt

CHENNAI: In light of the Sri Lankan Navy arresting 13 Tamil Nadu fishermen for fishing near Neduntheevu Island, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the state government to find a permanent solution so that fishermen from both countries could fish in the region.

In a statement on Thursday, Anbumani said that the fishermen have been detained at the Kankesanthurai port and their boats have been seized. "It is condemnable that the Sri Lankan Navy arrested the fishermen even though they were fishing in Indian waters. On July 1 too, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 25 fishermen. The arrests are happening at a time when the fishermen are protesting in Rameshwaram seeking a permanent solution," he said.

The PMK leader pointed out that 74 fishermen from the state have been arrested by the Lankan Navy since the end of the annual fishing ban and most of them have not been released yet. He also said that the livelihoods of fishermen are affected as 169 mechanised fishing boats have been seized by Sri Lanka.

"Talks at the levels of officials from both countries and fishermen from both countries should be conducted. A coordinated plan for fishing should be devised to avoid arrests," Anbumani suggested.

The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 13 Indian fishermen and seized three boats near Neduntheevu in the Palk Bay Sea area of the Indian Ocean early on Thursday.

As per information received by the Rameshwaram Fishermen Association, the fishermen belonged to the Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu.

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.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to activate diplomatic channels to ensure immediate release of all Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy and make strong and coordinated efforts to address the fishermen issue.

Earlier too, the CM had written to Jaishankar, requesting his immediate intervention to convene a 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.

Assuring Stalin, Jaishankar had said that 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.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)