14 more TN fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy; Annamalai writes to EAM

CHENNAI: Fourteen Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on grounds of trespassing into the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. Two mechanised boats, in which the fishermen were sailing, were also seized. The arrests were made on Saturday night when the fishermen were fishing near Neduntheevu.

The apprehended fishers belonging to Thangachimadam, Rameswaram, Pamban and Keelakarai had set out to sea off Rameswaram on Saturday after obtaining permit tokens from the Fisheries Department. The detained boats bore registration -- ‘IND-TN-10-MM-979' and 'IND-TN-10-MM-2530'.

Condemning the arrest and seizure of the boats, VP Sesuraja, president of the Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association said, “There is no end to this, and the fishermen will still have to suffer a lot for a long time it seems as the arrests of TN fishers continue unabated”.

S Emarit, president of the Rameswaram All Mechanised Boats Fishermen Association said while arrests happen frequently, the central government is not bothered to deal seriously with this never-ending problem.

The arrested fishermen were brought to the Iranativu Island, where they will be handed over to the Assistant Directorate of Fisheries, Kilinochchi, for further legal action, the Sri Lankan Navy said.

Meanwhile, in a strongly-worded letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, BJP state president K Annamalai on Sunday expressed deep concern over the alarming surge in arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

"The detentions have been on the rise since Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office as the President of Sri Lanka in October 2024," Annamalai said in a letter to the Union minister.

In his letter, Annamalai brought to Jaishankar's attention the unjust detention of 14 Indian fishermen and their boats.