Colombo: The Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday apprehended seven Indian fishermen hailing from Rameshwaram and seized their trawler for allegedly poaching in the island nation's territorial waters.
The fishermen were apprehended after their trawler crossed the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) north of Talaimannar, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement.
According to the Navy, its North Central Naval Command spotted a large number of Indian fishing trawlers allegedly trespassing into Sri Lankan waters and launched an operation, during which the seven fishermen and their vessel were held.
The fishermen have been identified as S Plasius (41), the boat driver; A Melson (56), from Victoria Nagar in Thangachimadam; S Alagu Pandi (22), from Rajagopal Nagar in Rameswaram; A Anthony Pichai (33), from Indira Nagar in Rameswaram; J Rabin (21), from Pamban Light House Street; A Sakhaya Anand (34); and R Arulanandu Xavier (65).
The apprehended fishermen and the seized trawler will be handed over to the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources office in Mannar for further legal proceedings, the statement said.
Reacting to the incident, Rameswaram Fishermen Association President N Devadas said fishermen had been unable to venture into the sea for four days due to a cyclone warning, before more than 400 boats from Rameswaram went out for fishing on Saturday.
"Due to the cyclone warning, we were prevented from venturing into the sea for four days. Yesterday, more than 400 boats from Rameswaram went out for fishing--not all boats went. Under these circumstances, the Sri Lankan Navy, which had seemingly paused operations during the cyclone, has struck again and apprehended one boat and seven fishermen near Mannar," he told ANI.
Expressing anguish over the arrests, Devadas said the fishing community was distressed and questioned the response of the authorities.
"This is truly shameful and deeply distressing. We do not even know how to put our grief into words. We are left wondering whether we are living under a government or living like abandoned orphans somewhere else," he said.
He further alleged that boats seized by the Sri Lankan authorities were nationalised and subsequently destroyed.
"They seize a boat, arrest the fishermen, nationalise the boat in Sri Lanka, and then break it apart, destroying it completely without leaving a trace of the vessel behind. To date, they have destroyed more than 300 boats like this," Devadas alleged.
He said the state government provides Rs 8 lakh as compensation, while accusing the union government of not taking adequate action to address the issue.
"The state government provides Rs 8 lakh as compensation, while the central government simply watches on as a bystander. What is the government doing for its people?" he said.
The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan territorial waters.
The Palk Strait, a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.
Fishermen from both countries are arrested frequently for inadvertently trespassing into each other's waters.
Last month, nine Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy after they allegedly crossed the international maritime boundary line south of Delft Island, Jaffna.
(With inputs from PTI & ANI)