CM MK Stalin writes to Jaishankar on Tamil Nadu fishermen's plight

Chennai: Highlighting an escalation in the attacks on fishermen from Tamil Nadu on the increase of late, Chief Minister M K Stalin requested Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to direct the Indian mission in Sri Lanka to initiate urgent measures to repatriate the 25 fishermen and their boats apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on Saturday.

The attacks had caused serious repercussions on the lives and safety of the fishermen, Stalin said in his letter to the Union Minister, drawing his immediate attention to the repeated instances of arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

‘In the recent incident, a mechanized fishing boat bearing Registration  Number IND-TN-06-MM-7675 along with 12 fishermen from Nagapattinam  Fishing Harbour were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on 09.12.2023, he said.

In addition to the above, 13 fishermen (3 from Nagapattinam,  2 from Mayiladuthurai and 8 from Karaikal) sailing in the boat bearing Registration Number IND PY-PK-MM-1499 from Karaikal were also apprehended the same day, he said.  

‘Another fishing boat bearing Registration Number IND-TN-10-MM-558 was damaged by the patrol vessel of the Sri Lankan Navy,’ he added.