Sri Lankan Navy arrests 6 more fishermen

The Sri Lankan Navy arrested six more fishermen from Rameswaram and seized their trawler (TN 10 MM 942) on charges of poaching when they were fishing on the high seas in the early hours on Thursday.

The six fishermen had set out into the sea on Wednesday along with 3,000 others. According to the Sri Lankan Navy’s website, they were found in Sri Lankan waters north of Talaimannar. They were arrested and handed over to the Talaimannar Fisheries Inspector.

This is the fourth arrest made by the Sri Lankan Navy after the new fishing season began on May 30. With this, 21 fishermen, including 17 from Rameswaram and four from Pudukottai district, have been arrested along with their four fishing trawlers. The Sri Lankan Navy had arrested seven fishermen from Rameswaram on May 31, four from Kottaipattinam in Pudukottai district on June 2, four more from Rameswaram on June 5.

Thursday’s arrest comes a day after Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi again urging him to secure the release of all the 15 fishermen and 91 boats impounded by the Island nation.