The Sri Lankan Navy apprehended 32 Indian fishermen from Ramanathapuram and seized five mechanized boats for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on Sunday. The fishermen were part of a larger group of 450 boats that had set out from Rameswaram the previous night. While many were reportedly chased away by the Sri Lankan naval patrol, five boats remained in the waters and were subsequently detained. The arrested individuals have been handed over to the Mannar fisheries department for further legal proceedings.
In response to the arrests, fishermen associations in Ramanathapuram have decided to escalate their indefinite strike, originally scheduled to begin on February 28. A senior fisheries department official identified the detained boat owners as F. Sesuraja, S. Vijayakulam, S. Arokiya Mantro from Thangachimadam, M. Jeya Prakash from Naripaiyur, and Gopal from Mookaiyur. Notably, within the past two months alone, 108 Indian fishermen and 16 boats from Ramanathapuram district have been seized by the Sri Lankan authorities, with 66 fishermen and 11 boats captured in February alone.
Fishermen associations have urged the central government to take swift action to secure the release of the detained fishermen and recover the seized boats. They have also called for a long-term resolution to the ongoing issue of frequent arrests by the Sri Lankan Navy, emphasizing the need for diplomatic intervention to safeguard the livelihoods of Indian fishermen operating near the IMBL.
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