CHENNAI: In yet another incident highlighting the continuing tensions in the Palk Strait, the Sri Lankan Navy on Thursday arrested 22 fishermen from Tamil Nadu for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
Four mechanised boats used by the fishermen were also seized. According to fisheries department sources, the fishermen hailed from Rameswaram and Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district.
They had ventured into the sea on Wednesday night in four boats for routine fishing operations.
The arrests took place in the early hours of Thursday near Katchatheevu, a small islet in the Palk Strait that has long been a sensitive issue between India and Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan naval personnel reportedly intercepted the boats while the fishermen were engaged in fishing activities and accused them of crossing the maritime boundary. The 22 fishermen were taken into custody and escorted to the Mannar naval camp for further questioning.
The incident has triggered anxiety and distress among fishing communities in coastal Tamil Nadu, particularly in Rameswaram and Mandapam, where families anxiously await updates on their detained relatives.
Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday wrote to Union Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar, urging immediate diplomatic intervention for the repatriation of Indian fishermen released from Sri Lankan custody and for securing the release of those still detained.
In his letter, the Chief Minister drew attention to the recent apprehension of 22 fishermen and four fishing boats from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy.
“As of now, 104 fishermen and 258 boats are under the custody of Sri Lankan authorities. Further, the continuing delay in the repatriation of 12 fishermen who were released by the Jaffna Court in the first week of February remains a matter of serious concern, plunging their families into uncertainty and economic hardship,” he said.
The Chief Minister urged the Union government to take immediate diplomatic steps to expedite the repatriation of the released fishermen and to secure the early release of all detained Indian fishermen.