As many as 55 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested and 8 boats seized by Sri Lankan Naval personnel on Sunday, an official here said. Chief Minister M K Stalin spoke to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over phone and requested him to take immediate steps to get the over 50 fishermen and their 8 boats released from Sri Lanka.
“The Union Minister assured immediate action,” an official release said. Stalin, writing to Jaishankar, took up the issue of continuing harassment of fishermen at the hands of Lankan Naval personnel. A total of 73 boats, including the 8 seized now, is being held by Lankan authorities, the CM said, urging action.
The official here said that soon after the apprehension of 43 fishermen and seizure of 6 boats from Rameswaram, 12 other fishers of Mandapam area were also subsequently taken into custody.
Two boats of Mandapam fishermen were also seized, he said. Demanding their immediate release, the fishermen association here said it would stage a protest on Monday and announced launch of an ‘indefinite strike’ as well.
Stalin, in a letter to Jaishankar said he was saddened over the continuing arrest and harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Lankan Navy at an ‘alarming frequency’ despite the state government taking up the issue with the central government.
“I would also like to point out that, in the year 2021 itself there were 19 incidents of apprehension and attack of Tamil Nadu fishermen,” the CM said. Though the fishermen were released, fishing boats, the source of livelihood for them, are still detained by authorities of the island nation.
The Sri Lankan government agencies said a fast attack craft of the 4th Fast Attack Craft Flotilla attached to the Northern Naval Command took hold of six trawlers and arrested 43 fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, southeast of the Delft Island (Neduntheevu), Jaffna, in the early hours. The operation was in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol. Arrangements were being made to hand the fishermen over to the authorities concerned for legal action after rapid antigen tests, they said.
The agencies said the Navy conducts regular patrols to curb illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.