Four Indian fishermen were today arrested by Sri Lankan Naval personnel while allegedly fishing near Neduntheevu, a small island near Jaffna in the north of the neighbouring nation.
This is the second instance of arrest of fishermen from Tamil Nadu this week after the detention of seven persons from here on Tuesday, on the very first day they put out to sea at the end of 45-day breeding season ban on fishing by trawlers.
The four fishermen from Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai District were arrested this morning and had been taken to Kangesanthurai Port for interrogation by Sri Lankan officials, Assistant Director of Fisheries Sekar said.
In another mid-sea incident, the fishing nets of 15 boats of fishermen from here were allegedly snapped by Sri Lankan navalmen when they were fishing near katchateevu.
The fishermen from this island, onboard 697 boats, were fishing in the Palk Strait when the Lankan navalmen chased away many found fishing in their territory, local fishermen association President T Sesuraj said.
The association had yesterday condemned the arrest of the seven fishermen and urged Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to seek the Centre's intervention and arrange for talks between the fishermen community of the two countries to resolve the dispute over fishing in "traditional" areas (Katchatheevu).
Jayalalithaa had already written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to secure the release of the seven fishermen and boats in the custody of Sri Lanka.
"We will not allow foreign fishermen to fish in our
waters even for a minute," he asserted.
When asked about Chinese fishing trawlers fishing in its waters, the delegation said it had a uniform policy of not allowing any foreign vessel in its territory.
Another delegation member, A Mariyarasa from Mullaitivu, accused the Indian fishermen of causing them economic losses by fishing in their prawn-rich sea.
"Even before we could harvest the fish, trawlers from Tamil Nadu enter our waters, resulting in huge economic losses.
"Unless there is no sustainable policy, we will implement our domestic rules and arrest (foreign) fishermen, but release them," Mariyarasa said.
The issue of Indian fishermen being arrested by Sri Lankan navy is a sensitive matter, especially in Tamil Nadu.
According to the delegation, Sri Lanka has confiscated nearly 130 fishing Indian fishing trawlers and 400 fishermen. The delegation claimed that all arrested fishermen were later released.
