The forest department has arrested five fishermen and seized their mechanised boat for fishing sea cucumber, the endangered species, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
On being alerted by the countryboat fishermen at Chinna Erwadi, a team led by S. Sikkandar Batcha, Forest Range Officer, Kilakarai, arrested the fishermen, who hailed from Mandapam and seized 50 kg of fresh sea cucumber from the boat on Thursday night.
The fishermen were produced before a Magistrate court here on Friday and remanded in judicial custody, he said. The seized sea cucumber was destroyed on court order, he said.
A high drama preceded the arrest, when local fishermen chased the mechanised boat fishermen after finding them fishing within the three nautical mile area from the shore, meant for country boat fishing.
After the fishermen in the mechanised boat destroyed their fishing nets, while trawling, the country boat fishermen tried to corner them. And when they tried to escape, country boat fishermen chased and detained them on the high seas, the fishermen said.
On finding that the mechanised boat fishermen had a good catch of sea cucumber, they alerted the forest personnel, they said.
They also lodged complaint with fisheries department demanding action against mechanised boat fishermen for trespassing into the areas meant for country boat fishing.
