Sri Lankan navy arrest 18 Tamil Nadu fishermen near Neduntheevu

RAMESWARAM: The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 18 Indian fishermen and confiscated their mechanised fishing trawler allegedly for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and poaching in the Island nation's territorial waters early on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu fisheries department officials said here that the fishermen were arrested when they were fishing on high seas close to the IMBL.

Preliminary reports said the incarcerated fishermen hailed from Karaikal in Puducherry, while another report said the fishers were from Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu. The identities of the arrested fishermen were yet to be ascertained, the officials said.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Navy in a statement said a special operation conducted by the Northern Naval Command led to the apprehension of 18 Indian fishermen and seizure of one Indian fishing trawler.

The operation was conducted off Veththalakerni at Jaffna and the Indian fishing trawler was found to have crossed the IMBL by approximately 30 nautical miles, entering Sri Lankan waters.

The seized boat together with Indian fishermen was taken to the Kankesanthurai Harbour and was handed over to the Regional Director of Sri Lanka Coast Guard Northern Region for onward legal proceedings.

The Sri Lankan Navy further said it will continue to conduct regular patrols and operations in its territorial waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing boats, taking into account the impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.

With this recent apprehension, the Sri Lankan Navy has apprehended 515 Indian fishermen from Rameswaram, Nagapattinam, Thoothukudi and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu, besides Karaikal in Puducherry and seized 66 Indian fishing boats poaching in Sri Lankan waters, so far this year and subsequently handed them over to authorities for legal proceedings, the statement added.