After a lull, the Sri Lankan Navy has arrested five Rameswaram fishermen on a charge of poaching in the island nation’s waters when they were fishing west of Delft island on Saturday night. The fishermen, part of 3,000-odd group who set out on Saturday morning, were fishing on the high seas when the Lankan Navy arrested them along with their trawlers, according to reports received here.
They were handed over to the Jaffna Inspector of Fisheries and produced before a magistrate in Kayts on Sunday and remanded in judicial custody in Jaffna prison till July 15. With this, the Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 34 fishermen, including 22 from Rameswaram, in the new fishing season, which began on May 30. More than 100 trawlers, confiscated by the Lankan Navy since last year, were detained at Lankan ports.
The latest arrest comes couple of days after a delegation of fishermen leaders from Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Nagapattinam and Puducherry met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi and requested her to secure the release of all the arrested fishermen and over 100 trawlers impounded by the Sri Lankan authorities.
Ms. Swaraj, who detailed the steps being taken by the Centre to find a lasting solution to their issue, promised to secure the release of the fishermen and the boats, but refused to set a deadline, a fishermen leader, who was part of the delegation, said.
The Minister told the delegation that the Centre was keen on finding a solution to the issue by weaning a number of fishermen to deep sea fishing and promised to arrange trouble-free fishing till they took to deep sea fishing, the leader said. Ms. Swaraj told the delegation that the Prime Minister had taken up the issue with Lankan government, the fishermen’s leader added.
So far, 34 fishermen, including 22 from Rameswaram, have been arrested since May 30
