Anguished by repeated arrests of fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and confiscation of their boats, the Rameswaram fishermen on Monday decided to surrender the registration certificate (RC) books of their boats and seek refuge in Kathchatheevu to secure their traditional fishing rights around the islet in the Palk Bay.
Two days after the Sri Lankan Navy arrested 20 fishermen and confiscated their four trawlers, leaders of 11 fishermen associations met here and adopted resolutions to surrender the RC books of more than 800 boats to the Collector on July 21 and sail to Katchatheevu, with white flags hoisted on the boats, on July 26.
P. Sesu Raja, district secretary, Tamil Nadu coastal mechanised boat fishermen association, said the fishermen were forced to take direct action as the arrests continued and there was no sign of a lasting solution to the issue.
“After surrendering the RC books, we will seek refugee in Kathchatheevu to assert our fishing rights in the Palk Bay,” he said. The leaders were also talking fishermen of Nagapattinam, Pudukottai and Thanjvaur into surrendering the RC books to their Collectors.
Indefinite strikeHe said the fishermen also decided to go on an indefinite strike after surrendering the RC books.
Mr. Raja welcomed the move to allow the fishermen to fish around Katchatheevu after securing a licence.
