The Sri lankan Navy on Sunday arrested 31 fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly poaching in the territorial waters of the island nation. The fishermen, 22 from Thoothukudi and nine from Rameswaram, were taken into custody along with their three country boats and a mechanised vessel early Sunday morning.
The number of fishermen in Sri lankan custody has gone up to 66 with Sunday’s arrest. last Thursday saw the lankan Navy arresting eight fishermen and seizing two boats for fishing in the territorial waters of Sri lanka.
Following Thursday’s arrest, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his personal intervention to release the 35 fishermen and 73 fishing boats of Tamil Nadu in Sri lankan custody and also sought steps to find a permanent solution to the recurring detentions.
According to Issac Jeyakumar, assistant director of fisheries, Thoothukudi, the fishermen from his district were fishing near Kalpity near Sri lankan coast when they were arrested on Sunday.
Gopinathan, a fishing department official at Rameswaram said fishermen set out to sea in 641 boats on Sunday morning and many of them returned without good catch. Nine of them were arrested while fishing near Thalaimannar, he said. Sri lankan naval men also allegedly caused extensive damage to the fishing nets of some of the fishermen, he said, adding, they were accused of using a banned fishing net and poaching in lankan waters.