Fourteen fishermen from the coastal district of Ramanathapuram have been arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel on prices of poaching and two trawlers have been seized within the early hours of Sunday (February 9, 2025).
Fisheries Division officers right here informed The Hindu that they’d issued 427 tokens on Saturday from the fishing harbour and that they have been anticipated to return to shores on Sunday night.
When 14 fishermen (eleven in a single boat and three in one other trawler) have been engaged in fishing, the Sri Lankan Navy detained them below prices of poaching within the Palk Bay space. They have been taken to the Naval Port and handed them over to the authorities for additional authorized motion.
In lower than a fortnight alone, over 50 fishermen have been held and only some days in the past, they’d registered their protest by means of an illustration close to Rameswaram bus stand.
Senior fishermen chief Sesu Raja mentioned that they might convene a gathering on Monday (February 10) and determine concerning the subsequent plan of action.
Within the meantime, he informed this correspondent that the Union authorities needed to step in and maintain talks with the Sri Lankan authorities. “Only this will bring about a permanent solution…” he mentioned.
The excessive degree assembly with the fishermen associations in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province needs to be organized for direct talks with the fishermen from Tamil Nadu. “The Sri Lankan government should allow us in Katchatheevu for three days in a week… The catch is only there.. Hence, the governments should enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for 50 years,” Mr. Sesu Raja mentioned.
Such an answer would assist the fishermen from either side to enterprise into the ocean with none apprehension. Else, the livelihood can be in for deep bother. Fishermen wouldn’t have the sense of safety whereas fishing. “We are traditional fishermen engaged in fishing in the Palk Bay from time immemorial. Depriving us from the rights under some pretext was unfair,” Selvin, a fishermen chief mentioned.
Wonderful slapped
Within the current occasions, the Sri Lankan authorities not solely arrested the fishermen from Tamil Nadu, but additionally slapped fines starting from 50,000 to 200,000 Sri Lankan Rupee. Additionally, the authorities within the island nation jailed the fishermen from six months to 24 months below the guise of “repeat offender”.
The fishermen leaders mentioned that they might meet on Monday.
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Printed – February 09, 2025 03:48 pm IST
