MADURAI: The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended seven Tamil Nadu fishermen on Tuesday for allegedly trespassing into the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. A mechanized boat was also seized from them.
The arrests were made on Monday night when the fishermen were fishing near North Mannar. They set out to sea off Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district on Monday after obtaining permit tokens from the Fisheries Department, according to the sources.
The detained boat belongs to S Arockia Daniel of Thangachimadam, said VP Sesuraja, the president of the Traditional Indian Fishermen Welfare Association.
The arrested were identified as S Berick of Thangachimadam, Sasikumar and Seenu of the same hamlet, and Mukkuran, Saravanan, Kalidas, and Senthil of Rameswaram. They were taken to Talaimannar after the arrest, sources said.
After being detained, the enforcement authority in Talaimannar advised the Tamil Nadu fishermen not to venture into Sri Lankan waters, where an eco-friendly method of fishing is in practice.
Highlighting that if the destructive practice of trawl fishing is allowed in Lankan waters, fishery resources would be depleted, the enforcement authority advised the Tamil Nadu fishermen to give up trawl fishing, according to the sources.