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Sri Lanka frees 41 fishermen

By Our Staff Reporter

Ramanathapuram March 11 . The Sri Lankan Government today reportedly released 41 Tamil Nadu fishermen and six boats, who were taken into custody by the island Navy and fishermen on the charge they had encroached on Sri Lankan territorial waters recently.

According to sources, all the freed fishermen will be handed over to Coast Guard personnel of the Mandapam base in mid-sea on Wednesday.

Of the 41 — 16 fishermen belonging to Pudukottai district were taken into custody by their Sri Lankan counterparts near Katchatheevu and the others, of Nagapattinam district, were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on the charge that they had crossed the international boundary line.

Coastal security meet

Earlier in the day, the Ramanathapuram Collector, S. Vijaya Kumar, today convened a coastal security meeting here to discuss security arrangements made in the district as well as in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Starits in the wake of the fishermen's problem.

According to sources, the Navy, along with Coast Guard and the local police, has stepped up vigil to prevent recurrence of mid-sea clashes with Sri Lankan fishermen. The Navy has also intensified vigil over the Adams Bridge covering all five islands (sand dunes).

Meanwhile, Rameswaram fishermen did not venture into the sea for the eighth day demanding that the Government secure the release of fishermen and their boats from the custody of Sri Lankan authorities.

Fishermen's associations would intensify their agitation if the Government failed to take immediate steps to protect the lives and livelihood of the fishermen, said Antony Raj, adviser, Tamil Nadu Fishermen Federation.

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