4 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Lankan Navy

Rameswaram, November 7

Four Tamil Nadu fishermen were on Tuesday arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly fishing in the island nation’s territorial waters, in the third such detention this month.

The fishermen from Jagadapattinam in Pudukottai district were arrested on the charge of poaching fish near Neduntheevu along the Sri Lankan coast, District Assistant Director of Fisheries Kumaresan said.

Their boat was also impounded and they were taken to Kangesanthurai in northern Sri Lanka, he added.

With this, a total of 25 fishermen from the state have been detained by the Lankan Navy this month.

Earlier, eight fishermen from Nagapattinam district were arrested on November 5 while 13 others from Pudukottai on November 2 on the charge of poaching fish in Sri Lankan waters.

Three mechanised boats of the Nagapattinam fishermen had been seized.

The state government last month urged the Centre to take steps to secure the release of 54 fishermen and 140 fishing boats in the custody of Sri Lanka as of then.

Expressing concern over the recurring detentions, Chief Minister K Palaniswami in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him to take up “the alarming and frequent kidnapping” of the state fishermen in “their traditional waters” with highest authorities in Sri Lankan government. PTI