2,500 fishermen chased away by Sri Lankan naval personnel

: Nearly 2,500 fishermen were chased away by Sri Lankan Naval personnel for allegedly fishing near Katchathivu islet, a fishermen's association leader said Sunday.

They naval personnel also snapped the fishing nets of 15 boats, took away the GPS sets in these boats and threw the catch into the sea, Fishermen's Association leader S Emerit said.

He said the fishermen had set out to sea in 437 boats Saturday after a gap of one week due to rough seas and strong winds under the impact of cyclone Gaja.

He requested the central government to take steps to ensure that such incidents did not recur.