21 fishermen from Rameswaram held by Sri Lankan Navy, two fishing trawlers too impounded

21 Rameswaram fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy, sparking concerns among fisherfolks about lack of government support.

In a fresh incident, 21 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel on March 16 night and two of their fishing trawlers were impounded.

According to reports reaching in Rameswaram, the Sri Lankan Navy, which was on a surveillance duty, held the fishermen near Needuntheevu islet and subsequently taken to the Kankesanthurai port for interrogation.

The Fisheries Department officials in Rameswaram said that 484 tokens were issued on March 16 morning at the jetty here and that over 3,000 fishermen had ventured into the Palk Bay for fishing.

The 21 fishermen — 12 in one boat and nine in the second trawler — were held on charges of poaching and having crossed the IMBL (International Maritime Boundary Line).

The officials said that the arrested fishermen were likely to be produced before a court in Sri Lanka and sent in to judicial custody.

Fisherfolks shocked

As the news spread, fisherfolks in the colonies in Rameswaram, Thangachimadam and Mandapam were shocked to learn about the fresh incident.