Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to EAM S Jaishankar about the arrest of 47 Indian fishermen’s arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy. The letter also mentioned about seizure of 5 boats.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar about the arrest of 47 Indian fishermen’s arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy. The letter also mentioned about seizure of 5 mechanised fishing boats. The SL Navy arrested fishermen and seized the boats for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) during fishing on Wednesday night and early Thursday.
According to fisheries officials, four boats with 30 fishermen from Rameswaram were intercepted between Dhanushkodi and Talaimannar late Wednesday. The detained fishermen were taken to the Mannar Naval Base and later handed over to the Mannar Fisheries Department, following which they were produced before court and lodged at Vavuniya Prison in Sri Lanka.
Karaikal fishermen also detained near Delft Island
In a separate incident, the Sri Lankan Navy also apprehended one more mechanised boat carrying 17 fishermen from Karaikal near Neduntheevu (Delft Island) in the early hours of Thursday. They were accused of crossing into Sri Lankan waters and were taken to the Kankesanthurai Naval Base for inquiry.
Officials said that the arrests mark the first such incident in nearly two months, with the previous case reported on August 9, when seven Rameswaram fishermen were detained by the Sri Lankan Navy for a similar violation.
Fishermen condemn arrests, urge diplomatic action
Local fishermen associations in Rameswaram strongly condemned the arrests and urged the Union Government to take immediate diplomatic steps to secure the release of the detained fishermen and recover the confiscated boats.
P. Jesu Raja, President of the All Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association, alleged that fishermen from Karaikal often venture close to international waters, sometimes entering Rameswaram’s fishing zones using high-powered engines, which leads to tensions and incidents with Sri Lankan authorities, according to a report by the Indian Express.
He added that representatives from both Rameswaram and Karaikal fishermen associations plan to meet soon to discuss measures to prevent boundary violations and protect their livelihoods.
As per reports, around 339 mechanised boats ventured into the sea from Rameswaram fishing jetty on Wednesday morning for routine fishing operations. The arrests of 47 fishermen within a single day represent one of the largest detentions this year. Repeated incidents of fishermen arrests have long been a sensitive issue between India and Sri Lanka, prompting calls for a permanent solution to the cross-border fishing dispute.