41 Indian fishermen return home after Sri Lankan arrest

At least 41 Indian fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy reach Chennai today. They will be sent to their respective districts as per authorities.

Out of the 41 fishermen, 35 belonged to Ramanathapuram district and were arrested near Katchatheevu on 8th September 2024. Sri Lankan Navy claimed they were doing cross-border fishing which is a repeated issue in the region. Another step towards curbing the frequent arrests of Indian fishermen.

Earlier this month on 16th Jan, 15 Indian fishermen who were held by Sri Lanka Navy were released and were brought to Chennai. These arrest cases occurred individually in 2024, 8 fishermen were detained off Mannar Island on 27th September & 12 from Nagapattinam district on 11th November.

After interventions by Union and State governments, their release was secured. Tamil Nadu Fisheries Department ensured their safe return to their villages upon arrival.

On 5th Jan, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) facilitated the repatriation of 95 Indian fishermen and 4 fishing boats from Bangladesh.

This was done in exchange with Bangladesh Coast Guard where 90 Bangladeshi fishermen including 12 who were rescued from a sunken fishing boat were also repatriated. The repatriation happened at South 24 Parganas, West Bengal and Indian fishermen were handed over to state fisheries officials.

In recent months, fishermen from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are being arrested for crossing international maritime boundaries inadvertently.

Officials said more diplomatic efforts are needed to address this issue and protect the livelihood of fishermen. Indian government initiatives and international coordination has helped in speeding up the repatriation process and giving some relief to the families affected.

In December, CM MK Stalin asked EAM S Jaishankar to intervene immediately to get the fishermen and their boats released from Sri Lankan Navy.