It is business as usual for fishermen in Nagapattinam-Mayiladuthurai belt in the wake of the recent shooting incident in mid-sea by Indian Navy, though the incident has caused a sense of restraint in getting deep into the sea among the fishers of Vedaranyam and nearby hamlets in Nagapattinam district from where the IMBL is closer, according to officials.
Fishermen representatives in Vanagiri in Mayiladuthurai district from where one among them (Veeravel) was shot and injured by the Indian Navy at the Palk Bay while fishing in a vessel are understood to have acknowledged that the boat should have stopped as instructed by the Navy.
However, the subsequent manhandling of the fishermen by the Indian Navy, going by the account of the crew, has not gone down well among the fishing community, an official said.
For their part, the Fisheries Department continues to carry out periodic orientations to the fishermen not to get close to the IMBL, and to necessarily respond to the warnings of the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy, the official said.
