Stop Sri Lanka From Levying Fines on Fishermen

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin urged Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government to stop levying hefty fines on Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by that country’s Navy but provide them with necessary legal assistance, besides securing the release of all fishermen and their fishing boats as soon as possible.

‘I am writing with a deep sense of anguish as 37 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and their three motorised country boats bearing Registration Nos. IND-TN-16-MO-3451, IND TN-16-MO-1544 and an unregistered boat were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy on 21.09.2024,’ Stalin wrote in his letter on Monday.

He said that as he had been pointing out, such instances of arrests of Tamil Nadu fishermen while fishing in their traditional fishing waters had been on the rise and that Sri Lankan courts were levying penalties that were beyond the means of these fishermen.

‘Strong measures must be taken to prevent the Sri Lankan authorities from apprehending fishermen and their fishing boats,’ Stalin said.