At least 37 Tamil Nadu fishermen were apprehended and five of their fishing trawlers were seized by the Sri Lankan navy after they allegedly strayed into the Lankan territorial waters, according to a fisheries official in Chennai.37 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Lankan navyThese men were held during an operation by the Lankan navy on Saturday night.In this month, nearly 10 fishing boats and almost 64 fishermen from the state have been arrested by the Sri Lankan navy.Seeking help from the Centre, Tamil Andu Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged Union External Minister S Jaishankar to initiate necessary steps to secure the release of all fishermen and their boats.M K Stalins appeal to CentreDrawing Jaishankars attention, the chief minister said, “As you are aware, our fishermen are solely dependent on their fishing activity for livelihood and these frequent arrests are causing immense distress and suffering to the fishermen community.”In a letter to EAM on Sunday, a copy of which was made available to the media, Stalin said such acts of the Sri Lankan navy have put pressure on fishermen communities in the state, and instilled panic into their minds.தமிழ்நாட்டைச் சேர்ந்த 37 மீனவர்கள் இலங்கைக் கடற்படையினரால் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள நிலையில், அவர்களையும் அவர்களது 5 மீன்பிடிப் படகுகளையும் உடனடியாக விடுவிக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கக்கோரி மாண்புமிகு ஒன்றிய அமைச்சர் @DrSJaishankar அவர்களுக்கு மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் கடிதம்… pic.twitter.com/h0hLLzZgMx— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) October 29, 2023I wish to state that Tamil Nadu fishermen feel that their voices are on the wane, and I feel that the Government of India should stand more vocally for our fishermens rights and speak for their safety, he said.Moreover, he reiterated the demand to protect the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay region.The chief minister reiterated the demand to protect the traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay region.Despite the persistent demand to stop the arrests and seizure of boats, the Sri Lankan navy continued to apprehend Indian fishermen, he said in the letter and called for solid diplomatic initiatives without further delay to end the arrests.
