Chief Minister Vijay wrote a letter to the Central Government urging action to release the Tamil Nadu fishermen
Six fishermen from Mandapam South fishing harbour in Ramanathapuram district were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Monday night for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing near Mannar.
According to fisheries department sources, the fishermen were apprehended in the southern sea area off Mannar after Sri Lankan naval personnel intercepted their country boat for allegedly fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The arrested fishermen were Alex P (25), Anthoni Rajan V (44), Santhana Alocias V P (52), Arul They Britto S (47), Albert A P (52), and Sahaya Selvashanu J A (26), all natives of the Manakudi area in Kanniyakumari district. Though they hail from Kanniyakumari, the fishermen had departed from Mandapam fishing harbour for fishing.
Officials said the fishermen and their boat were taken to Jaffna fishing harbour and later handed over to Sri Lankan fisheries authorities.
Fishermen’s associations in Mandapam condemned the arrests and urged the Union government to take immediate steps to release the fishermen and their boat.
South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF) general secretary A Churchill claimed that the fisherman’s boat had developed a snag and was inadvertently dragged into the Sri Lankan waters, following which they were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy.