Karaikal fishermen released by SL Navy meet Lt. Governor

Lt. Governor meets released fishermen, discusses livelihood improvement and policy for fishing near Andaman coast.

A group of fishermen from Karaikal, released by the Sri Lankan Navy after being arrested on the charge of venturing into their waters, met Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan at the Raj Nivas in Puducherry on Friday. The fishermen thanked the Lt. Governor for his intervention in getting them released from the custody of the Sri Lankan authorities. They also expressed their gratitude for the assistance provided by the Lt. Governor in getting an injured fishermen treated in Sri Lanka, and subsequently in Chennai after their return to India, Raj Nivas said in a release. During his interaction with the fishermen, the release said, the Lt. Governor informed them about the measures taken by the administration to improve their livelihood. He also told them about the policy being evolved to provide them an opportunity to fish near the Andaman coast as a solution to their frequent arrest. In his customary address in the Assembly on March 10, the Lt. Governor had said the government wanted to bring about a permanent solution to the crossing of International Maritime Boundary Line by the fishermen of the Union Territory. He had informed the Assembly about a policy being formulated for deep-sea fishing with an aim to encourage the fishermen to venture into Andaman sea and bring large fish catches in an environmentally sustainable manner by identifying potential fish landing zones using satellites and the latest technology. Sources said the Lt. Governor also explained in detail the efforts being made by the administration, in consultation with the Centre, to develop a new plan for fishing near Andaman sea.