Image used for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: L. Balachandar

In a new incident, 23 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested by Sri Lanka Navy personnel on charges of poaching while they were engaged in fishing in Palk Bay on Sunday (November 10, 2024).

Fisheries Department officials said that on Saturday (November 9), 393 tokens were issued from the Rameswaram jetty where around 2,500 fishermen had ventured into the sea. They were expected to return to shore on Sunday (November 10) afternoon.

Meanwhile, 23 fishermen, who were allegedly fishing near Katchatheevu islet, were detained by Sri Lanka Navy surveillance personnel on charges of having crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). After securing them and the three trawlers, the fishermen were taken to Kankesanthurai port in Sri Lanka.

As the news spread in Rameswaram, fishermen’s associations expressed concern and urged the Union government to immediately intervene and rescue them.

The leader of a fishermen’s association, Sesu Raja, said that only when security was guaranteed, fishermen could earn their daily wages without any fear. Repeated calls by governments to convene high-level talks with fishermen in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka will see the light of day, he added.

Another fishermen leader said that since June, when the annual fishing ban period ended, the Sri Lanka Navy had arrested more than 300 fishermen and confiscated about 30 trawlers. While the fishermen were released following government intervention here, the trawlers have not been returned. By doing so, the fishermen were left without work. The Sri Lankan government has also imposed prison sentences of six months and two years on fishermen for repeat offences.

At a time when fishermen were struggling to survive, such punishments and detentions had only made their lives miserable, Mr. Sesu Raja said, adding that they have been traditionally fishing in Palk Bay since time immemorial and urged the Government of the Union to emerge from its continued silence for the benefit of the fishing community.