Secure release of TN fishermen, boats: Finance Minister writes to MEA

Jayakumar, who is also holding the Fisheries portfolio, demanded an urgent intervention by the Centre at the highest level to avert the arrest of the fishermen in the Palk Bay and also to secure the immediate release of all the detained fishermen and fishing boats. 

Citing the rolling out of schemes, including diversification of trawl fishing from Palk Bay into deep sea fishing, construction of fishing harbour at Mookaiyur in Ramanathapuram district and banning of new registration of trawling boats in Palk Bay, Jayakumar observed that these initiatives require a minimum gestation period to deliver the desired goals of resolving the dispute. 

“We were expecting that the Sri Lankan Government would release the boats after Prime Minister’s meeting in April, 2017,” he observed while blaming Sri Lanka for its disregard of the efforts taken by the Centre and its increasing intolerant attitude and the scant respect for the Indian diplomatic efforts. 

The state finance minister also termed the recent communique from Sri Lanka on increased number of boats crossing their territory as ‘misleading.’