Sri Lankan Navy detains seven Tamil Nadu fishermen
The fishermen were intercepted while fishing between Katchatheevu islet and North Mannar in the early hours of Sunday.
The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended seven fishermen from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam early on Sunday, according to The Hawk and The New Indian Express. The fishermen were intercepted around 1 am while fishing between Katchatheevu islet and North Mannar.
The men were taken to a naval port, including a Mannar naval camp, along with their mechanised vessel. They face allegations of poaching and crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
The identified fishermen are Placius, 41; Alagu Pandi, 22; Antony Pitchai, 33; Rabin, 21; Nelson, 58; Arulananda Xavier, 65; and Sahaya Anand, 34. All seven belong to fishing communities in the Ramanathapuram district.
The Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department had issued 398 tokens for fishing operations on Saturday. The detained crew was part of those scheduled to return on Sunday evening.
Fishermen's leaders expressed distress over the arrests ahead of Deepavali and called on both State and Central governments to facilitate their release. A leader stated that a meeting of coastal district fishermen's associations would be held to determine future steps.
This incident follows several previous detentions, including the arrest of nine fishermen on October 3. In October, Chief Minister Vijay wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking the release of fishermen and boats held in Sri Lankan custody.