Nagapattinam: The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday released 42 fishermen arrested by it for allegedly violating
the International Maritime Boundary Line, a senior Fisheries
Department official said here.
The fishermen from Keechankuppam and Arucottuthurai hamlets
in the district who ventured into the sea on Sunday, were
arrested off the coast of Pulmoddai last night on charges of
violating the IMBL and taken to Trincomalee.
All the fishermen were released today and expected to
return to Nagapattinam within few days, V Gunasekharan,
Assistant Director of Fisheries Department, said.
In Colombo, the Navy spokesperson Kosala Warnakulasuriya
said the fishermen on board six trawlers were arrested last
night off the coast of Pulmoddai in the east.
During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna had taken up the "emotive issue" of
Indian fishermen and said it should be handled with care on
both sides.
Sri Lanka-India Joint Working Group on fisheries met early
this month to thrash out issues related to fishing.
Fishermen of both sides stray into each other`s waters
regularly in addition to Sri Lanka Navy coming under
accusations of attacks against Indian fishermen.
PTI
