Rio De Janeiro, Jan 7 (IANS): A cruise ship trapped for more than 24 hours in Brazil's port of Itajai, has been freed, media reported Wednesday.
The ship was trapped by fishermen protesting a new government policy, Xinhua reported.
The vessel, carrying 1,800 passengers and 640 crew, had docked at the port of Itajai in Santa Catarina state, when about 220 fishing boats blocked its passage to protest limits on fishing endangered species, Brazil's leading news website G1 said.
The ship, operated by Pullmantur, had docked in Itajai Monday morning and was to visit Montevideo, Uruguay.
The fishermen, members of a fishing union, called off the protest after receiving a letter from the federal government pledging to involve the regional fishing industry in discussions over the new law, passed in last December. A meeting has been arranged for Thursday in the capital Brasilia.