By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Sri Lankan Navy has taken into custody 54 Indian fishermen and detained two boats for fishing in the Sri Lankan waters.

Indian officials said on Thursday that the fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram and Thangachimadam, had been picked up by the Sri Lankan Navy near Katchatheevu on Wednesday.

“They were taken to a local naval camp for further inquiry and are likely to be handed over to Lankan Fisheries authorities to be isolated along with the detained boats,” the Indian officials said.

Indian media reported that the Rameswaran fishermen’s association representatives had expressed concern over such repeated instances of Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu being nabbed by the Sri Lankan navy and urged the Centre and state government to ensure their early release.

The Indian High Commission in Colombo, issuing a media statement yesterday said it had been informed about the apprehension of the Indian fishermen and five boats by Sri Lanka Navy and asked the government to deal with the Indian fishermen in a humanitarian manner.

“Providing immediate consular access and emergency supplies to apprehended fishermen are of prime importance. We are working with Government of Sri Lanka for expeditiously securing consular access for these fishermen. Bilateral mechanisms are in place to comprehensively address all matters related to fisheries. It may be recalled that the Fourth meeting of the Secretary-level JWG was held on 30 December 2020 through virtual mode. Follow-up measures on the basis of discussions which took place during the meeting need to be taken forward quickly.”

The Sri Lankan Government too had repeatedly called on the Indian Government to monitor and prevent Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters.

State Minister of Ornamental Fish, Freshwater Fish and Shrimp Farming Development, Multiday Fishing and Fish Export Kanchana Wijesekera said last December that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa discussed the matter with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual summit.

Wijesekera said that Minister of Fisheries Douglas Devananda had also spoken to Indian officials. “Indian fishermen were taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka to poach here. “We cannot detain the Indian fishermen once arrested because of the high Covid-19 cases among them. Therefore, we have to release them once arrested.”