Twenty fishermen from Tamil Nadu continue to languish in Sri Lankan prisons, with 270 fishing boats in custody, the Deccan Chronicle reported. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has written to Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar regarding this issue.
The Chief Minister expressed deep concern over the Sri Lankan Navy repeatedly arresting fishermen from Tamil Nadu. He urged Jaishankar to prevail over the Sri Lankan government to put an end to this recurring problem, which causes distress to the families of fishermen and puts them in financial difficulties, besides causing fear among the fishing community.
Demanding the revival of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on Fisheries at the earliest and the convening of its meeting, given the present situation, Vijay stressed on the need for the resumption of talks between the two neighbouring countries.
Traditionally, the livelihood of the fishermen in Ramanathapuram and the adjoining coastal districts depended on fishing in the Palk Straits, the Chief Minister stated in his letter. He added that when they were prevented from doing so and also penalized through their arrest and seizure of fishing boats, the families faced financial crises.
This issue causes significant financial hardship to the families of the fishermen. The arrests of fishermen and seizure of boats in Sri Lanka could potentially impact fishing communities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana facing similar challenges, affecting their livelihoods.