Daijiworld Media Network – Rameswaram
Rameswaram, Aug 13: The Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday arrested nine fishermen from Rameswaram and seized their fishing boat for allegedly crossing the maritime boundary and fishing near Katchatheevu.
According to Coastal Security Group police, the fishermen were part of a larger group of 297 boats that had departed from Rameswaram Port on August 12 after obtaining the required fishing permits.
The seized boat, registered as IND TN 10 MM 329, is owned by P Wellington of Thangachimadam Raja Nagar.
The arrested fishermen have been identified as J Janathan, 45, A Anthony Pichai, 38, K Vellaichamy, 51, M Prabhu, 43, Arogya Jeniston, 25, P Stevin, 30, M Donbosco, 55, V Arogya Devin, 31, and Subbaiah, 52.
Following their arrest, the fishermen were taken to the Sri Lankan Navy's Thalaimannar Naval Camp for questioning.
The latest incident comes days after another group of 11 Indian fishermen was apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy near Neduntheevu on August 6. According to Congress MP Manickam Tagore, their fishing boat developed a technical snag while they were at sea.
Tagore has urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene through diplomatic channels for the immediate release and safe return of the fishermen.
In a letter to Jaishankar, Tagore said the fishermen from Rameswaram, Pamban, Thangachimadam and Keralam were apprehended in the early hours of August 6 after setting sail with tokens issued by the Rameswaram jetty.
According to the Congress MP, the boat, owned by a person named Ramesh, developed a serious technical problem while fishing, causing it to lose control and drift into Sri Lankan waters. He also sought government assistance to recover and return the vessel to its owner.
Tagore said such incidents cause distress among coastal fishing communities and argued that mechanical failures or natural drift could sometimes result in vessels unintentionally crossing maritime boundaries.
He urged the Centre to work with Sri Lanka to establish a bilateral protocol for handling cases in which fishing boats cross maritime boundaries due to technical breakdowns or natural causes.