The Sri Lankan Navy allegedly assaulted eight country boat fishermen from Pamban and took away their catch –two boxes of crabs – when they were fishing on the high seas near Kodiakarai in the early hours of Wednesday.
Eight fishermen had set out for multi-day fishing in a vallam (country boat) from Pamban north-sea on Monday and were fishing on the high seas when the Lankan Navy from Kankesanthurai intercepted their boat around 4 am and assaulted them for poaching in Sri Lankan waters.
After getting into the vallam, the 10-member Navy team removed a wireless set and echo sounder fitted in the boat and took away two boxes of high-value crabs, weighing 60 kg and valued at about Rs. 20,000, Mr. Ibrahim, the boat owner said, quoting the crew members. The Navy personnel beat up the eight fishermen in the vallam and warned them against trespassing into the Lankan waters, he alleged. They also took away vegetables, ration items kept for cooking and two water cans, he said. The fishermen, however, managed to hide the Global Positioning System (GPS) set, he added. Later, the fishermen pulled the net and moved into the Indian waters. After completing fishing, they reached the shore on Thursday night.
U. Arulanandham, president of the Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen, said the Pamban fishermen set out for fishing in the sea area, off Point Pedro, during the November-December season for catching crab and the Sri Lankan Navy’s act deserved condemnation.
