40 Nagai fishermen still waiting to go to Sri Lanka

Since 2015, Sri Lankan Navy had arrested scores of fishermen and seized more than 170 boats. Recently, a team of officials from Fisheries Department and fishermen had gone to Sri Lanka to assess the condition of boats after Sri Lanka permitted to take back 42 boats. 

Fishermen had gone to Sri Lanka in three batches so far. As part of fourth batch, 40 fishermen from Nagapattinam were asked to come to Mandapam where the Coast Guard station is located and to go to Sri Lanka to retrieve six boats from that region. The fishermen reached Mandapam fishing jetty on Thursday and for the past three days they were made to stay at the jetty. They were neither taken to Sri Lanka nor were allowed to return to Nagapattinam. When the fishermen questioned the Fisheries Department officials, they said the orders have to come from the Coast Guard and it might come any time. So, the fishermen were still waiting at Mandapam jetty.