Crossed International Waters, The Sri Lankan Navy Arrested 16 Fishermen And Seized Boats

Sri Lanka and India have primary agriculture as their main source of earning. Many times, the fishermen and tug boats venture deep into the sea to harvest fresh fish and seafood. However, the Sri Lankan Navy recently arrested 16 fishermen from Rameshwaram on the charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line which is technically the border of the sea. The fishermen were docked at Katchatheevu and Neduntheevu islands.

Close to 400 fishermen left in the morning, out of which 16 were detained and 2 boats seized. The boats are parked at the Jaffna Fisheries Department. The boats belonged to Mahendran and Ramasundaram. Tension is even increasing between the Sri Lankan Navy and Fishermen as they have previously shown aggressive behavior along with the seizure of the boats. Many times, they have taken to hostility to prevent fishermen from fishing around their land.

Fishermen from Rameshwaram were on a month-long strike during which they complained about their ill behavior. CM MK Stalin wrote to EAM S Jaishankar to initiate a diplomatic response to the incident. He informed EAM about the challenges faced by the families when unruled arrests are made. He also claimed that these issues have been persisting for quite a long time now, and strict action is taken against them so that unruled arrests are prohibited.

The families of the fishermen are demanding immediate action and the release of their members, as this can impact their livelihood even more because the festive season is nearing, and this is the time they look forward to.