Fourteen fishermen from Ramanathapuram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on charges of poaching, and two trawlers were seized in the early hours of Sunday.
Fisheries Department officials told The Hindu that they had issued 427 tokens at the harbour on Saturday, and the fishermen were expected to return to the shore on Sunday evening.
When 14 fishermen on two vessels were fishing, the Sri Lankan Navy detained them. They were taken to the naval port and handed over to the authorities for further legal action.
Over 50 fishermen had been arrested in less than a fortnight, and only a few days ago, members of the fishermen community staged a protest over the issue.
Fishermen leader Sesu Raja said they would convene a meeting on Monday and decide the next course of action.
In the meantime, he said the Union government should intervene and hold talks with the Sri Lankan government. “This alone will bring about a permanent solution,” Mr. Sesu Raja said.
A high-level meeting with the fishermen associations in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province should be arranged to facilitate direct talks with the fishermen from Tamil Nadu, he added. “The Sri Lankan government should allow us into Katchatheevu three days a week. The respective governments should enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for 50 years,” Mr. Sesu Raja said.
“We are traditional fishermen engaged in fishing in the Palk Bay from time immemorial. Depriving us of our rights is unfair,” said Selvin, a fishermen leader.
Hefty fines
In recent times, the Sri Lankan government has not only arrested the fishermen from Tamil Nadu, but also imposed fines ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 Sri Lankan Rupees. Also, the fishermen have been jailed for six months to 24 months on the charge of being a “repeat offender”.
Many families were in a state of depression and needed psychological assistance, said Antony, a 59-year-old fisherman from Thangachimadam. Some had even threatened to end their lives, he added.
BJP State president K. Annamalai sought the intervention of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar over the latest arrests.
In a letter to the Union Minister, he pointed out that there had been an unprecedented increase in arrests of fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy since October 2024, when Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office as President of Sri Lanka.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050).
Published - February 09, 2025 03:48 pm IST
