Ramanathapuram: Fishermen, family members and members of CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Meenpidi Thozhirsanga Kootamaippu took out a procession here on Wednesday, urging the State and Central governments to secure the release of 30 fishermen, who went to Dubai on contract fishing and were arrested by Iran Navy while fishing on the high seas.
M. Karunamurthy, Kootamaippu district secretary, who led the procession, said the first set of 15 fishermen – seven each from Kanniyakumari and Tirunelveli districts and one from Ramanathapuram district – was arrested on October 20, 2016 by the Iran Navy on a charge of poaching in their waters and detained in Kish island.
The Iran Navy arrested the second set of 15 fishermen, all hailing from Ramanathapuram district, on December 27, 2016, for “poaching in Iran waters” and detained them in the same island, he said.
The hapless fishermen, who had gone for contract fishing after losing their livelihood here, were suffering without basic facilities, food, water and medicine in the island, G. Sugumaran, CITU State general secretary, said addressing the rally.
He wanted the district administration to take up the issue with the State government and secure the release of the fishermen at the earliest and provide financial assistance to the families of the fishermen.
He also requested the Centre to alert the Consulate General of India in Dubai and Embassy of India in Tehran and initiate steps for the release and rehabilitation of the fishermen. Six of the detained fishermen were from Rameswaram, four from Kilakarai region, three from Ramanathapuram and one each from Thiruvadanai and Pamban, he said.
Later a delegation of CITU leaders, including district office-bearers H. John Soundararaj, M. Sivaji and S.A. Santhanam, met Collector S. Natarajan and presented a memorandum. The Collector assured the team members that he would do what was necessary in the issue, they said.
