Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 11 (ANI): The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 13 Indian fishermen and seized three boats near Delft Island in the Palk Bay Sea area of the Indian Ocean early in the morning on Thursday.
As per information received by the Rameswaram Fishermen Association, the fishermen belonged to the Pudukkottai district of Tamil Nadu.
They were fishing across the international water borders of India in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. This incident has caused a lot of turmoil among the fishermen.
On Monday, July 1, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 26 Indian fishermen and also seized four boats from the Palk Bay Sea area. The fishermen had gone fishing from Pamban in the Rameswaram Island area near the Palk Bay sea area.
Condemning the move by the Sri Lankan Navy, the fishermen of Pamban, along with their families, took part in a road blockade to protest the arrest of the fishermen.
In the last week of June, the Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 22 Tamil Nadu fishermen for fishing near Neduntheevu Island in Sri Lankan waters, according to the Rameswaram Fisherman Association.
The Sri Lankan Navy arrived and seized three boats along with the fishermen who belonged to the Thangachimadam village in Tamil Nadu.
After this incident, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to secure the release of all fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
He further requested his immediate intervention to convene the Joint Working Group to prevent further arrests and secure the release of all fishermen and fishing boats currently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities.
Stalin said that such incidents disrupt the livelihood of the fishermen and instill a sense of fear and uncertainty in their entire community.
Responding to Stalin, Jaishankar said the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up such cases for the early release of those detained. Jaishankar assured Stalin that efforts to address the interests of the Indian fishing community would continue. (ANI)
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