Sri Lanka navy arrests 21 Tamil Nadu fishermen
The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 21 Indian fishermen hailing from this district and seized four mechanized fishing trawlers allegedly for illegal poaching in its territorial waters on Wednesday evening.
Tamil Nadu fisheries officials said tonight that of the 21 arrested, 17 fishermen were from Jagadapattinam coastal hamlet and four from Kottaipattinam fishing hamlet.
They had set sail into the sea for routine fishing on today morning.
The fishermen were arrested when they were fishing on high seas close to the Delft Island off Sri Lanka, this evening and subsequently taken to Kankesanthurai harbor for interrogation.
The fishermen along with the impounded fishing trawlers will be handed over to the fisheries officials for further legal action.
The Sri Lankan Navy have arrested 434 fishermen hailing from Rameswaram, Thoothukudi, Nagapattinam and Pudukottai districts in Tamil Nadu and seized a total of 59 fishing trawlers on charges of poaching in the Island nation’s territorial waters, so far this year.