Sri Lankan Navy arrests 14 Tamil Nadu fishermen in two incidents for crossing the boundary line

In the first incident, five fishermen were arrested on Tuesday early morning while in the second incident later the same day, nine more fishermen were nabbed near Puthalam.

Rameswaram: As many as 14 fishermen in two separate incidents from Rameswaram and Pamban were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing on Tuesday, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

The arrested fishermen were handed over to the officials of Sri Lankan Fisheries in Talaimannar for further action.

Fishermen Association Secretary Statement

NJ Bose, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Fishermen Association, the fishermen had gone out to sea with their boats on Monday, though there were repeated warnings on violations by the Sri Lankan Navy.

The Sri Lankan Navy intercepted the fishermen while they were in the Gulf of Mannar between Dhanushkodi and Thalaimannar.

The fishermen were operating in the A mechanised boat owned by a local fisherman named Justin was seized, and the five fishermen on board were detained.

Two Incidents

In the first incident, five fishermen were arrested on Tuesday early morning while in the second incident later the same day, nine more fishermen were nabbed near Puthalam.

Earlier Incident

This incident is one of many in recent times in which Tamil Nadu fishermen have been arrested for fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

In mid-July, seven fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested in a similar fashion. They were sent to judicial custody in Vavuniya court and their boat was also seized.

Earlier in February, in a single operation, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 32 Indian fishermen and seized five boats.

Such frequent arrests have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among the fishermen of Rameswaram. Fishermen say that the sea is their only source of livelihood and whenever someone is arrested, fear is created in the minds of other fishermen.

Fishermen associations have repeatedly appealed to the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu to hold talks with Sri Lanka on this issue and find a permanent solution to this problem. They have also demanded that the seized boats be brought back, as these boats are a major source of their livelihood.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has earlier written a letter to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on this issue. He had sought strong diplomatic intervention for the release of the fishermen and appealed to take measures to prevent such incidents in future.