The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 18 fishermen from Pamban and impounded two mechanised boats in mid-sea along the Palk Bay on charges of poaching on Tuesday (January 16, 2024) night.
Officials from the Fisheries department said about 400 fishermen had ventured into the sea on January 16, (the day after Pongal) for fishing. The surveillance team of the Sri Lankan Navy had intercepted them around 7 pm on Tuesday and after preliminary probe took 18 fishermen into custody and also confiscated their two boats. They were taken to a Naval port in the island nation. The fishermen were to be produced before a court in Sri Lanka.
Pamban fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy on January 16, 2024 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Meanwhile, fishermen leader Jesu Raja told The Hindu that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should directly intervene and bring about a permanent solution to this issue. “We are feeling insecure.... Everyday going to the seas and returning is like a birth and death for us. Our families are so depressed that many feel fishing is no more safe in Palk Bay,” he claimed and urged the PM to find a solution through talks with Sri Lankan government at the earliest.
He said 2024 had not begun well for fishermen with the Naval authorities in Sri Lanka arresting fishermen from Nagapattinam and Pudukottai and now from Pamban in a fortnight. “This should stop in the larger interest of the fishermen, who depended on the sea for their livelihood,” he said.
Between 2018 and 2023, the Sri Lankan government had impounded around 150 mechanised boats belonging to the fishermen from Tamil Nadu’s various coastal districts. “When the boats are not returned, it impacts our livelihood directly. Each boat costs around ₹25 to ₹40 lakh,” Mr. Jesu Raja said and hoped the PM’s visit to Ramanathapuram district in the next few days would help resolve this issue.
