Six more Indian fishermen have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy, a week after 34 Indians were seized for allegedly fishing illegally in the country’s waters, naval authorities said in Colombo yesterday.
The arrests came off the coast of Talaimannar in the north. The fishermen will be produced in court and among the arrested was a 14-year-old boy, the Sri Lankan navy said.
This was the second such arrest of Indian fishermen for alleged poaching in Sri Lankan waters within a week after 34 of them had been arrested last Monday.
Commenting on the arrests, Sri Lankan fisheries minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that at least 128 Indians are currently in Sri Lankan custody for alleged illegal fishing.
“We will soon be releasing all of them. But we will not release their boats and their fishing equipment,” he said.
Sri Lankan officials say they are currently reviewing the necessary legislature on poaching in Sri Lankan waters and will impose heavy fines in future.
In Tamil Nadu, Rameswaram Fishermen Association chief S Emirit said the fishermen were fishing near Katchatheevu islet when the navy personnel arrested them.
The Sri Lankan navy had on October 2 arrested seven Indian fishermen from Rameswaram while on October 10, another 19 fishermen hailing from Nagapattinam were arrested.
Again on October 13, 24 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested and nine more from Nagapattinam were seized the next day.