Chennai: The Sri Lankan Navy on Tuesday arrested nine fishermen from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district for fishing in the island nation’s waters and also seized two mechanised boats, the state’s Fisheries Department confirmed.
The arrested persons were identified as Manikantan, Arummugam, Jayaseelan, Velu, Kumar, Nallathambi, Irulandi, Suresh and Sivathaporiyan, all residents of Mandapam.
According to the Department, the nine had gone into the sea on Monday and were to return home on Tuesday afternoon.
The Sri Lankan Navy has taken the fishermen to Kankesuntharai port on charges of poaching in the country’s territorial waters, the Department said.
On July 9, 15 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of crossing the International Maritime Border Line (IMBL).
Tuesday arrest comes after Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickramasinge’s visit to New Delhi last week.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Ramanathapuram on Friday to flag off the ‘Padayatra’ of BJP Tamil Nadu state president, K. Annamalai.
Fishermen association leaders told IANS that more than 110 boats have been impounded by the Sri Lankan Navy since 2018, which has led to losses amounting to crores of rupees and also resulted in large-scale unemployment for the fishermen.
Antony John, a fishermen leader of Ramanathapuram told IANS that the fishermen are in misery due to the regular arrests and seizure of their mechanised boats.
He said that after the boats get impounded many of the fishermen turn jobless.
The fishermen’s leader had called upon the Union government to immediately intervene in the matter and to resolve the issue.
–IANS
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