Lankan navy apprehends 21 fishermen, three boats

Rameswaram: Sri Lankan naval agencies apprehended 21 Indian fishermen and their three country boats on charges of poaching in their territorial waters on Wednesday. The fishermen, all hailing from Pamban fishing hamlet in Rameswaram, sailed on a fishing expedition on Tuesday.
The mechanized trawlers have been moored in the shore due to the 45-day fishing ban period effective from April 15.But, the ban is not applicable to traditional fishermen using country boats. The apprehended boats - two from Thangachimadam and one from Pamban - belong to the country boat category.
According to Sri Lankan naval website, the navy assisted Sri Lankan coast guard to apprehend the fishermen 10 nautical miles South West of Talaimannar on Wednesday. The fishermen and their boats were handed over to Sri Lankan police at Mannar for further action.
Fishermen activist, U Arulanandam of Alliance for Release of Innocent Fishermen, said that the arrested fishermen were produced before the Mannar court and were remanded in judicial custody till May 11. They were locked up in Vavuniya prison after the court's verdict.
At present, 34 Indian fishermen are in Sri Lankan prisons while 98 boats, including those from Union Territory Karaikal, were confiscated by Sri Lankan authorities since February 2015.