The Sri Lankan Navy took into custody 23 Tamil fishermen in the early hours of Sunday, accusing them of having trespassed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). This operation also led to the seizure of three mechanised boats, as per the Tamil Nadu coastal police. The total number of Tamil fishermen taken prisoner since June 16, 2024, stands at 425, with 58 boats in custody.
President of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has called on the Union External Affairs Minister to tackle the ongoing sea arrests of Tamil fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy. The Union External Affairs Minister brought up this issue during a recent trip to Sri Lanka, urging the local government to curb such arrests and boat apprehensions. In consequence of these repeated arrests, leaders of the fishermen association in Tamil Nadu are initiating large-scale protests statewide.
Considering the financial burden of losing these expensive boats, Tamil fishermen are approaching the Prime Minister, seeking intervention in this matter. Fishermen’s leader, K. M. Periasamy, underscored the psychological strain on the families of such fishermen, who took loans to buy these boats, hoping to pay them off with earnings from fishing.
Despite these discussions, the arrests persist, prompting the fishermen’s associations in Tamil Nadu to organise significant protests across the state’s coastal districts.
