SL Navy arrests 15 TN fishers, seizes 2 boats
Fellow fishermen came to know of their arrest around 8.30 pm on the same day, said P Jesuraja, president, Ramanathapuram District All Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association.
MADURAI: Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday arrested 15 fishermen from Ramanathapuram near Neduntheevu for crossing the Indian Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in their territorial waters, sources said.
The two groups of fishermen, who ventured into sea by two mechanized boats bearing registration ‘IND-TN-10-MM-677’ and ‘IND-TN-10-MM-913’ on Saturday morning off Rameswaram were arrested. Fellow fishermen came to know of their arrest around 8.30 pm on the same day, said P Jesuraja, president, Ramanathapuram District All Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association.
The fishermen arrested are Christhu (40) of Thangachimadam, Arockiaraj (45) of Naalupanai, Kermas (33) of Malligai Nagar, Arockiyam (38) of Thangachimadam, Ramesh (25), Jegan (40) of Pamban, Prabu (36) and Melton (45) of Pamban.
The other group of arrested fishermen includes L Marian (44), G Isaak (25), John (30), A Prathiban (32), Anthony (46), Janagar (30) of Thangachimadam and George (35) of Pamban, sources said.
Condemning the arrest and urging their release along with their boats, Jesuraja said the fishermen, who rely on a fleet of 650 boats in Rameswaram, would observe one-day token strike on Monday.
He sought the intervention of state and central governments to retrieve Katchatheevu and restore traditional fishing rights to avoid any such detention of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy henceforth. He lamented that fishermen aren’t seen as much more than a vote bank by the political parties.