‘19 fishermen arrested by SICG released’

Barring two captains, the Seychelles Island Coast Guard (SICG) has released 19 fishermen hailing from Kanyakumari district and Kerala on Tuesday, a statement from the office of the Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan said.

According to the statement, the fishermen will reach Mumbai airport from Seychelles at 2.55 a.m. on Wednesday.

The fishermen would reach Kochi at 7.20 a.m. and reach Thiruvananthapuram around 10.40 p.m. on Wednesday by air, the statement said.

The diplomatic official, Aninthia Banerji from Indian Embassy in Seychelles, informed about the fishermen’s release and their return to India, the statement added.

The Seychelles Island Coast Guard (SICG) arrested the fishermen from Kanyakumari and neighbouring Kerala on January 28.

Fr. Churchil, secretary, South Asian Fishermen Fraternity (SAFF), welcomed the steps taken by the Union and State governments to secure the release of the fishermen.