35 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested, four boats seized by Sri Lankan navy

Around 35 fishermen from Pamban in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy for allegedly poaching in Lankan waters.

Four country boats which the Pamban fishermen had used to fish were impounded allegedly for violating the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) on Thursday, a senior fisheries department official said in Ramanathapuram on Friday.

The fishermen were apprehended by the Lankan navy in the northwestern seas of Lanka, south of Mannar, when they were reportedly fishing in Lankan waters. Later, they were handed over to the Kalpitiya fisheries officials.

The arrest comes in the wake of a Sri Lankan court ordering the release of 13 fishermen detained earlier.

Condemning the arrest, AIADMK general-secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami claimed that the Central government was not taking appropriate measures to ensure a lasting solution to the frequent arrests of fishermen.

He also flayed the state's ruling DMK government for not exerting pressure on the Centre over the issue. "I urge the Centre to take steps to secure the release of the fishermen and their belongings, and not talk about Katchatheevu islet (ceded to Lanka) during elections. Keep in mind that Tamil Nadu fishermen are also Indians," Palaniswami said in a post on X.

He called for a permanent solution to the frequent hardships being faced by the fishermen through negotiations.