The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 13 more Tamilnadu fishermen and seized their two mechanized fishing trawlers for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and illegally poaching in its territorial waters.
Fisheries department officials said here today that the arrested fishermen hailed from Jegathapattinam coastal hamlet in Pudukottai.
The fishermen had set sail into the sea for fishing in 102 trawlers from Jegathapattinam Monday morning.
Protesting against the arrest, the Jegathapattinam fishermen began
an indefinite strike. ‘The strike will continue till all the arrested fishermen and their boats are released’, said a member of the fishermen association.
With the latest arrest of 13 fishermen, a total of 68 fishermen from the State were arrested by the Lankan Navy triggering uproar among the fishing community.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Navy in its official website confirmed the arrest of Indian fishermen and said during a special operation in the seas west of the Analathivu Island executed by a Fast Attack Craft of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla, attached to the Northern Naval Command, two Indian fishing trawlers with 13 fishermen on board poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters were arrested.
Further arrangements were being made to hand over the apprehended Indian fishermen for onward legal action after directing them for a Rapid Antigen Test.
The Navy will continue to patrol the Island waters round the clock to thwart poaching activities of foreign fishermen, it said.
As a result of the Navy’s continuous effort to prevent poaching by Indian fishing trawlers in Lankan territorial waters, 10 Indian trawlers and 68 Indian fishermen were taken into naval custody during special operations on 18, 19 and 20 December, it said.
Meanwhile, the indefinite strike by the fishermen in Rameswaram demanding the release of 55 fishermen and their eight boats, entered the third day today.
Fishermen stayed away from sea and said they would resort to a rail roko agitation on the New Year Day if the fishermen were not released by 31 December.