Daijiworld Media Network - Rameswaram
Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Nov 1: The Sri Lankan Navy detained seven fishermen from Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram and Thangachimadam early on Sunday while they were fishing near Katchatheevu, triggering fresh concerns among fishing communities and renewed demands for government intervention to resolve the long-standing fishing dispute.
According to Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department officials, naval personnel intercepted the fishermen's trawler at around 1 am while they were fishing between Katchatheevu islet and North Mannar.
The fishermen were detained on charges of poaching and taken along with their vessel to a Sri Lankan naval port.
The arrested fishermen were identified as Placius, 41; Alagu Pandi, 22; Antony Pitchai, 33; Rabin, 21; Nelson, 58; Arulananda Xavier, 65; and Sahaya Anand, 34. All seven hail from fishing communities in Ramanathapuram district.
The Fisheries Department had issued 398 fishing tokens on Saturday, allowing fishermen to venture into the sea. Those who went fishing were scheduled to return on Sunday evening. However, the seven fishermen were taken into custody before completing their fishing trip.
Strongly condemning the arrests, fishermen's leaders urged both the Central and Tamil Nadu governments to intervene immediately and secure the release of the detained men. They said the incident had come as a major shock to the fishing community, particularly with Deepavali approaching.
A fishermen's leader said a meeting of all fishermen's associations in the coastal district would be convened to discuss the issue and decide on the next course of action.
The latest incident comes amid a series of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. On October 3, nine Rameswaram fishermen were arrested and their mechanised fishing boat seized. The incident subsequently figured in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay's appeal to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar seeking intervention.
In a letter dated October 5, Vijay had sought the release of 20 fishermen then lodged in Sri Lankan custody and the return of 270 seized fishing boats. He had also called for renewed engagement through the bilateral Joint Working Group on Fisheries. These figures represented the situation as it stood at the time of his appeal.
Earlier, in July, nine fishermen who had sailed from Rameswaram were arrested while fishing north of Mannar. Their boat, owned by a resident of Thangachimadam, was also seized, and the crew were taken to a naval camp in Mannar.
In another incident in March, seven Rameswaram fishermen and two mechanised boats were detained for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Fishing associations had subsequently demanded the immediate release of the fishermen and the return of their vessels.
Following Sunday's arrests, local fishermen's associations are preparing to hold fresh consultations, with their immediate demand being the safe return of all seven detained fishermen.