Over 200 Lankan fishermen released this year

The Indian authorities have released over 200 Sri Lankan fishermen from their custody during the year. This is the largest number of Sri Lankan fishermen to have been released from Indian prisons in a year, according to sources at the Fisheries and Aquatice Resources Development Ministry.


The Ministry’s Monitoring Controlling and Surveillance Unit (MCSU) Assistant Director Lal De Silva said, the Indian Coast Guard have arrested about 300 Sri Lankan fishermen for trespassing and violating the territorial waters of India during the year.

The majority of fishermen were arrested off the coasts of Andra Pradesh, Rameswaran off Tamil Nadu, Kerala , Andaman Islands and Orissa, he said.

There are no more than 80 Sri Lankan fishermen in Indian custody as at present, he said. The Tamil Nadu Government has released all Sri Lankan fishermen along with their boats.

Silva said ,Tamil Nadu State has released 67 fishermen and 13 boats. Of them around 57 fishermen have arrived in the country. The others await repatriation orders from India’s External Affairs Ministry in Delhi to return to the country.
Of the 20 boats held by them 10 were released along with their crew men, he said. The fishermen were released due to direct intervention by Fisheries and Aquatic Resourcces Minister Rajitha Senaratna.

Silva said, the fishermen were brought back to Sri Lanka without delay unlike in the past with prompt action by the Minister.

It is expected that all fishermen in Indian custody will have returned to the country by the end of the year, he added.9News-Daily News)