Sri Lanka on Saturday handed over 37 Indian fishermen — arrested on April 3, 2015 for allegedly poaching in the island’s waters — to the Indian Coast Guard in northern Jaffna peninsula, a day after a local court had ordered their release.
The fishermen were handed over to Indian authorities on the international waters north of Kankesanturai in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the Sri Lankan Coast Guard said.
Their release came after Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena met a delegation of fishermen associations and assured to take steps for their release.
Noting that the issue of fishermen needed to be resolved through talks, Mr. Sirisena said he would ensure that centuries old Sri Lanka-India friendship would not be affected by the dispute.
Judicial magistrate court at Paruthithurai in Sri lanka ordered the release of the 37 fishermen from Jagadapattinam and Nagapattinam on Friday.
The fishermen, arrested with five boats off the island’s north in Point Pedro, were produced before the court and ordered to be released.
