TN: Sri Lankan Navy apprehends 17 fishermen off Rameswaram coast, seizes 2 boats

Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 29 (ANI): The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 17 fishermen from Tamil Nadu and seized two boats off the coast of Rameswaram on Sunday morning.

The apprehended fishermen have been identified as Markmillan (37), Milton (49), Ronald (48), Sesuraja (45), Jeevan Frisher (22), Suresh (45), Arul Dhinakaran (24), Durai (39), and Maria Sethin (26) from Thangachimadam, as well as Ardiya Nicho (26), Jebastian (38), Rajeev (36), Vivek (36), Innachie (36), Samuel (33), Brichan (31), and Bhaskaran (30).

The two boats that were seized belonged to fishermen Thangachimadam Vyadaraj and Thangachimadam Selvam.

According to the Rameswaram fishermen association, the apprehended fishermen were fishing in the Palk Bay area near Nedunthivu, having set out to sea with 309 boats. The fishermen had permission from the Rameswaram Fisheries Department the previous day to venture into the sea, the association stated.

The fishermen were taken to Mannar port for questioning, they said.

The association expressed alarm over the incident, highlighting ongoing tensions surrounding cross-border fishing activities in the region.

At least 19 fishermen previously arrested by the Sri Lankan navy were released earlier this month.

The arrests of Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy have been a concerning issue for both the Tamil Nadu government as well as the BJP-led central government. Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has written to EAM Jaishankar multiple times regarding the matter.

Responding to one of his letters, Jaishankar assured him of proactive action on the issue and said that the Indian High Commission in Colombo and the Consulate in Jaffna have been expeditiously and consistently taking up such cases for the early release of those detained.