Chennai:

As many as 37 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested and five of their fishing trawlers were seized by the Sri Lankan navy after they allegedly strayed into Lankan territorial waters, a fisheries official in Chennai said on Sunday.

The men were arrested during an operation by the Lankan navy on Saturday night.

This month alone, 10 fishing boats and 64 fishermen from the state have been apprehended by the Sri Lankan navy.

Taking up the issue with the Centre, Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to initiate necessary steps to secure the release all the fishermen and their fishing boats.

Drawing the Central minister’s attention to the apprehension of the 37 fishermen along with their five fishing boats by the Sri Lankan navy on October 28, the Chief Minister said, “As you are aware, our fishermen are solely dependent on their fishing activity for livelihood and these frequent arrests are causing immense distress and suffering to the fishermen community.” In a letter to Jaishankar on Sunday, a copy of which was made available to the media here, Stalin said such acts of the Sri Lankan navy have put pressure on fishermen communities in the state, and instilled panic into their minds.

“I wish to state that Tamil Nadu fishermen feel that their voices are on the wane; and I feel that the Government of India should stand more vocally for our fishermen’s rights and speak for their safety,” he said.

The chief minister reiterated the demand to protect the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay region.

Despite the persistent demand to stop the arrests and seizure of boats, the Sri Lankan navy has continued to apprehend Indian fishermen, he said in the letter and called for “solid diplomatic initiatives without further delay to end the arrests.” 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chennai:

The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday arrested 27 Indian fishermen and seized five of their boats for allegedly trespassing into their waters. The fishermen, residents of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram, were fishing in Sri Lankan waters off Mannar and near the Delft and Kachchativu Islands in Jaffna.

Fishermen in Ramanathapuram have now declared an indefinite strike, effectively halting the operation of around 7,000 fishermen. Protesting fishermen also plan to stage a demonstration on Wednesday, emphasizing the urgency of their demands.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan assured a diplomatic solution to the crisis and appealed to the fishermen to end their strike. He also asked the fishermen to recognize the direct impact the strike would have on the lives of approximately 15,000 people in the region.

More than 600 Indian fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly trespassing over the last few decades. Though killing has almost stopped over the last few years, Sri Lanka has stopped returning seized boats, crippling the livelihood of fishermen.

The Sri Lanka Navy has seized 22 boats and arrested 137 Indian fishermen so far in 2023.

It is said that the fishermen venture into the Lankan waters due to a smaller number of fish in the Indian waters.

Tamil Nadu has mooted two solutions to the issue. One is to retrieve the Katchatheevu island which India gifted to Sri Lanka in the 70s as they say this will increase the catchment area for fishermen and change the international boundary line as well.

The state has also suggested the idea of a long-term lease agreement with Sri Lanka to pave the way for legal fishing rights for Indian fishermen.

Chennai:

The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday arrested 27 Indian fishermen and seized five of their boats for allegedly trespassing into their waters. The fishermen, residents of Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram, were fishing in Sri Lankan waters off Mannar and near the Delft and Kachchativu Islands in Jaffna.

Fishermen in Ramanathapuram have now declared an indefinite strike, effectively halting the operation of around 7,000 fishermen. Protesting fishermen also plan to stage a demonstration on Wednesday, emphasizing the urgency of their demands.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Fisheries L Murugan assured a diplomatic solution to the crisis and appealed to the fishermen to end their strike. He also asked the fishermen to recognize the direct impact the strike would have on the lives of approximately 15,000 people in the region.

More than 600 Indian fishermen have been killed by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly trespassing over the last few decades. Though killing has almost stopped over the last few years, Sri Lanka has stopped returning seized boats, crippling the livelihood of fishermen.

The Sri Lanka Navy has seized 22 boats and arrested 137 Indian fishermen so far in 2023.

It is said that the fishermen venture into the Lankan waters due to a smaller number of fish in the Indian waters.

Tamil Nadu has mooted two solutions to the issue. One is to retrieve the Katchatheevu island which India gifted to Sri Lanka in the 70s as they say this will increase the catchment area for fishermen and change the international boundary line as well.

The state has also suggested the idea of a long-term lease agreement with Sri Lanka to pave the way for legal fishing rights for Indian fishermen.