Bring back 21 fishermen stranded in Iran: Kin

The fishermen belong to Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts, and had gone to Iran to take up fishing activity on a “share in income” arrangement with a firm, International Fishermen Development Trust president P Justin Antony said. “The fishermen went to a location near Bandar Abbas about a year ago after paying a huge sum to agents who assured them of lucrative income,” he said, adding that the victims decided to go abroad as fishing was not proving to be remunerative back home.

However, they were not being paid for about six months and their passports and other travel documents were taken away by the firm, he alleged. “This has put them in dire straits and they are struggling to meet even basic needs like food. The kin of the fishermen have requested the district authorities to take steps for their safe return,” he said. A Kanyakumari district official said out of the 21, eight are from the district and steps are on to bring all the 21 fisherfolk back. “The process is on. All authorities concerned are being notified to help bring our fishermen back home.” Antony said the Centre should work with countries like Iran, where Indian fishermen take up assignments, to ensure they are covered by the labour laws of the nations of their employment.