Sinking of fishing boats will be grave error, prevail upon Lanka: CM Stalin to EAM
"The loss of fishing boats will be detrimental to the livelihood of fishermen," Stalin said.
Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin
CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday in a letter to Union Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar urged the Centre to ensure the security of Indian fishermen and to prevent the recurrence of attacks and to stop the proposed sinking of apprehended fishing boats and to take all necessary steps to bring back 229 fishing boats seized by Sri Lanka
Drawing the MEA's attention to pirate attack on Nagapattinam fishermen and their five country boats by unidentified Sri Lankan nationals in separate incidents on May 2, the CM said that the GPS devices, mobile phones, VHF equipment, ice boxes, engine components, inverter batteries, stove, approximately 470 kg of fishing nets, and personal belongings such as gold and silver jewellery of the fishermen were snatched away.
Requesting the MEA to take it up urgently with the authorities concerned, both in India and Sri Lanka, to prevent such instances threatening lives and livelihoods of fishermen, Stalin said that Sri Lanka's Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) has formally recommended the sinking of 34 Indian boats confiscated in 2022 and 2023 as part of a project attributed to develop artificial reef ecosystems.
"The loss of fishing boats will be detrimental to the livelihood of fishermen," Stalin said, requesting the Government of India to prevail upon the Sri Lankan Government not to sink the boats seized from our fishermen and ensure the boats' return.
Pointing out that as of May 5, 229 fishing boats belonging to fishermen from Tamil Nadu are under the custody of Sri Lanka, the CM said that the government of Tamil Nadu had sent a proposal to the Union government for the repatriation of 12 fishing boats that Sri Lankan courts released, and to obtain clearance for 14 salvage boats along with 101 fishermen to facilitate the recovery of these vessels. "We hope the External Affairs Ministry will facilitate this at the earliest, " he said, urging the MEA to take up the pressing issues with the Government of Sri Lanka, to ensure the security of Indian fishermen and to prevent the recurrence of such attacks, to stop the scuttling of apprehended fishing boats and to take all necessary steps to bring back 229 fishing boats seized by Sri Lanka.
