Sri Lankan Navy nabs 28 fishermen, stir begins

Rameswaram: Traditional country-craft fishermen of Pamban here began an indefinite work stoppage on Sunday after Sri Lankan Navy, in another cache, arrested 28 fishermen, including 23 from Pamban and five from Rameswaram, at different places in mid-sea, alleging they crossed the International maritime boundary.

According to the Tamil Nadu Fishermen’s Associations’ Federation general secretary, C. R. Senthilvel, amid fishing activity in this coastal stretch coming under increased ‘attacks’ by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel, arresting “our fisher folks and seizing our boats”, the latest episode of 28 fishermen being nabbed by the Island security forces has come as a huge shock to the people of this island-town.

On Saturday, in the Gulf of Mannar region, as many as 28 fishermen who had put out to sea in country-craft were arrested and three of their boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel patrolling that area, alleging that our fishermen had intruded into their territorial waters. All the arrested fishermen have been taken to the Naval base at Mannar in northern Sri Lanka and were being questioned, he said.

In another lot, the Sri Lankan Navy personnel arrested five fishermen from Rameswaram and their mechanised boat seized, said Senthilvel. This set of fishermen has been taken to the Island-Navy’s Jaffna camp for questioning, he said. Demanding the immediate release of all the arrested fishermen along with their boats, the coastal fishermen here have begun the indefinite strike, he added.