The Sri Lanka Navy on Sunday (29) morning apprehended two Indian fishing boats along with 17 fishers poaching north of Mannar.
The arrests were the first since Congress MP, R Sudha, recently elected from Mayiladuthurai constituency appealed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to release all Indian fishers in Sri Lankan custody.
On the day Sri Lanka voted at the presidential election, the Navy apprehended three boats poaching in Sri Lankan waters along with 30 Indian fishers.
Navy headquarters said that the naval units continued to conduct regular patrols and operations in our waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers, taking into account the adverse impact of those practices on the livelihood of local fishermen.
Navy headquarters said that Sunday’s arrests had been made during an operation conducted by Fast Attack Craft (FACs) and Inshore Patrol Craft (IPCs) to chase away poaching vessels.
The aboats together with their crew were brought to the Talaimannar Pier and they were handed over to the Mannar Fisheries Inspector for legal proceedings.
Including the apprehension madeduring the latest operation, the Navy has arrested 55 Indian fishing boats and their crew totaling 413 so far this year. Immediately after Dissanayake’s election as President, MP Sudha, according to Indian media requested him to make a fresh beginning by using his sovereign presidential powers to release all Indian fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan jails as a token of goodwill and love. The media quoted her as having said that such a gesture would add a lot of muscle to his avowed objective of giving Sri Lanka a new direction.
In a‘open-hearted and open minded’ letter to Dissanayake, the MP asked the Sri Lankan President to release the fishermen and return all their boats in good usable condition as early as possible. A good beginning could be made by releasing the 37 fishermen from Mayiladuthurai constituency, she said, adding that 80 other fishermen and 173 fishing boats were under the custody of Sri Lanka.
‘India shares maritime boundaries with several nations, including such a belligerent neighbour like Pakistan. But, no country arrests, fines, damages and attacks and kills fishermen from neighbouring countries so regularly as Sri Lanka does. The provocations come from the Sri Lankan side far too regularly, testing the patience and peace in the region. Fishermen cannot be treated like criminals for fishing in common waters like the Bay of Bengal,’ she said. But that was in the past, she said, adding: ‘Now that you are at the helm, promising a fresh beginning, new outlook and prosperity for your nation, I request you to use your sovereign Presidential powers.’
