Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday wrote to Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging him to safe the immediate release of all detained fishermen and their fishing boats in Sri Lanka and guarantee essential authorized help for them.
In a letter to Jaishankar, Stalin mentioned there have been a number of occurrences of fishermen from India being detained by Sri Lankan authorities, which precipitated misery and uncertainty amongst their households.
He mentioned 32 fishermen from Tamil Nadu had been caught by the Sri Lankan Navy on March 21 and their 5 mechanised boats had been seized.
“Decisive motion should be taken with none additional delay to handle this festering subject and to make sure the security and well-being of the affected fishermen. Additional authorized help must be offered for the fishermen who’ve been sentenced by Sri Lankan courts,” he mentioned.
“Due to this fact, I urge you to safe the quick launch of all our fishermen and their boats and likewise to make sure essential authorized help to the fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka,” he mentioned.
There have been periodic cases of Indian fishermen being detained by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly crossing the Worldwide Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
The vast majority of these detentions happen within the Palk Strait, a slim strip of water between Tamil Nadu and northern Sri Lanka. The strait is a wealthy fishing floor for fishermen from each nations.
In keeping with the Centre, 240 Indian fishermen had been arrested in Sri Lankan waters and 35 trawlers had been seized final yr.