The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 25 Indian fishermen for alleged maritime boundary violations

RAMANATHAPURAM: The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 25 Indian fishermen and their four village boats from Ramanathapuram in the early hours of Monday for allegedly violating the maritime border.

Sources said that nearly 50 village boats from Pamban area took to the sea on Monday. It is said that while they were fishing near the island, the Sri Lankan Navy chased the fishermen, caught their country boats and arrested them. They were taken to Kangesanthurai port.

Last month about 22 fishermen from Rameswaram and their mechanized boats were taken over by the Navy.

During his speech, Karunamoorthi, a leader of village boat fishermen from CITU, said, “Though the village boat fishermen are using permitted nets that have been approved by the SL government earlier, the fishermen from Pamban have been arrested by the SL Navy. It is condemnable that the SL Navy is arresting poor village boat fishermen fishing for a living. We demand that the union government take immediate action to release the fishermen and their village boats that have been caught by the Sri Lankan Navy.”

The fishermen organized a protest.

Hundreds of fishermen from Pamban staged a protest by entering the sea and later staged a protest blocking roads at Madurai – Dhanushkodi NH, which resulted in traffic jams. After assuring officials to take action on the issues, the fishermen dispersed from the scene. Several other fishermen near Rameswaram port also staged road blockades and officials are holding peace talks with the fishermen.