Guwahati News Desk: A total of eight Indian fishing vessels were seized and 55 fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday.
According to sources, the fishermen were arrested for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters.
In addition, the operations were carried in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government agencies has informed that arrangements are being made to hand the arrested fishermen over to the relevant authorities for legal action after Rapid Antigen Tests.
The agencies further informed that patrols to curb illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters are conducted by the Navy on a regular basis.
Moreover, as the news of the arrests spread in the coastal hamlets, representatives of fishermen associations met in the forenoon. A fishermen leader named Jesu Raja said, “The Union and State governments should immediately intervene and protect all the fishermen and bring back the trawlers. Until then, the fishermen will not venture into the sea.”
The representatives sternly accused the Union government of having neglected the community.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, spoke to the External Affairs Minister S. Jaisankar seeking his intervention to get the fishermen and the boats released.
