Sri Lankan Navy Detains 26 Indian Fishermen, Seizes Four Boats

RAMESWARAM: The Sri Lankan Navy has detained 26 Indian fishermen and seized four boats, the Fishermen Association of Pamban said.

The Fishermen Association informed that the fishermen were engaged in fishing activities from the Pamban area near Rameswaram Island in the Palk Bay sea region when they were apprehended.

The move by the Sri Lankan Navy has been condemned and the fishermen of Pamban along with their families staged a road blockade to protest the arrest of the fishermen.

Earlier last week, 22 Tamil Nadu fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for fishing near Neduntheevu in Sri Lankan waters, according to the Rameswaram Fisherman Association.

After spotting them, the Sri Lankan authorities arrived and seized three boats belonging to the fishermen of Thangachimadam.

The series of arrests have prompted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to request the immediate intervention of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to convene the Joint Working Group so as to prevent further arrests and secure the release of all fishermen and fishing boats currently in the custody of Sri Lankan authorities.

The Tamil Nadu CM raised serious concerns in this regard, emphasizing that incidents of this sort takes a toll on the livelihood of fishermen.

Stalin also added that the recurring arrests instill a sense of fear and uncertainty in the entire community.

The families of the detained fishermen have urged both the central and state governments to take necessary action in order to ensure the timely release of the fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar responded to the pleas by assuring that the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna are actively pursuing the release of the detained fishermen.

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