Chennai, Oct 27 (IANS): The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 12 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, accusing them of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) while fishing near Neduntheevu.

According to officials from the Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department, the fishermen were detained early Sunday morning and taken to a Sri Lankan naval camp for questioning.

The Sri Lankan Navy also seized their mechanised boat and fishing equipment. Since June 16, the Sri Lankan Navy has detained 425 fishermen from the state and impounded 58 boats.

Approximately 110 fishermen remain in Sri Lankan custody. On October 23, the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 16 Tamil fishermen from Rameswaram, sparking widespread protests in the state.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has personally written to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, urging him to intervene and secure the release of the fishermen and their boats.

K.M. Palaniappan, a fishermen’s leader from Tamil Nadu, expressed his frustration to IANS: “The arrest of 12 Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday is highly deplorable. It’s high time the Union government takes action, as our people are increasingly fearful of fishing in the high seas, which directly leads to poverty and hardship.”

He also called upon the Chief Minister to push the Centre for an immediate release of the fishermen and their boats.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK, AIADMK, and PMK, have been raising concerns about the difficulties Tamil fishermen face due to actions by the Sri Lankan Navy.

On August 1, 2023, a tragic incident occurred when a Sri Lankan naval boat allegedly rammed into a fishing boat, causing it to capsize. One fisherman, Malaisamy (59), drowned, while another, Ramachandran (64), went missing. Two other fishermen on the boat, Mookiah (51) and Muthu Muniandi (52) were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy but were later handed over to Indian authorities.