Sri Lankan Navy arrests 6 Indian fishermen

Six Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were detained by Sri Lankan Navy along with their boat.

Six Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu were detained by Sri Lankan Navy along with their boat.

Earlier this morning, fishermen were detained as they were fishing in the Palk Bay Sea. Six fisherman were aboard the Nishant-owned boat IND TN 10 MM 2573 when Sri Lankan Navy arrived in the vicinity and captured it as it crossed the boundary. The fisherman of Rameswaram were horrified by this incidence.

This is the third instance to occur this month; on August 22, the Sri Lankan Navy detained 10 Indian fishermen for allegedly participating in “illegal fishing” in Sri Lankan territorial seas. The same thing happened on August 10 as well.

Sri Lankan Navy captured a single automated fishing boat from Tamil Nadu that had nine fishermen on board.

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to act to secure the release of fishermen following the repeated occurrences that occurred on August 10 and 22.

Panneerselvam in a letter to Jaishankar stated, “I am sending this letter with a profound feeling of anxiety regarding the safety and health of the fishermen of Tamil Nadu who are now being often detained by the Sri Lankan Navy while they follow their customary activity of fishing.”

He called attention to the arrest of Indian fishermen and the confiscation of their mechanised fishing boats on August 10 as well as a similar event by the Sri Lankan Navy on August 22.